Data from Partnership Status and Socioeconomic Factors in Relation to Health Behavior Changes after a Diagnosis of Ductal Carcinoma <i>In Situ</i>

Abstract

<div>Abstract<p><b>Background:</b> Change in health behaviors can occur among women newly diagnosed with ductal carcinoma <i>in situ</i> (DCIS). We sought to understand whether partnership status and socioeconomic status (SES) affected behavioral changes in body weight, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and smoking.</p><p><b>Methods:</b> The Wisconsin <i>In Situ</i> Cohort (WISC) study comprises 1,382 women diagnosed with DCIS with information on demographics, SES factors, and pre- and post-DCIS diagnosis health-related behaviors. Logistic regression models were used to determine the association between partnership status, education, and income with change in behavior variables.</p><p><b>Results:</b> Higher educational attainment was associated with lower likelihood of stopping physical activity [OR, 0.45; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.32–0.63; college vs. high school degree], or starting to drink alcohol (OR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.15–0.80). Results suggested that higher family income was associated with lower likelihood of gaining >5% body mass index (<i>P</i> = 0.07) or stopping physical activity (<i>P</i> = 0.09). Living with a partner was not strongly associated with behavior changes.</p><p><b>Conclusion:</b> Higher educational attainment and higher income, but not living with a partner, were associated with positive health behaviors after a DCIS diagnosis.</p><p><b>Impact:</b> The associations between higher educational attainment and, to a lesser extent, higher income with positive health behaviors underscore the importance of considering SES when identifying those at risk for negative behavioral change after DCIS diagnosis. <i>Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 25(1); 76–82. ©2015 AACR</i>.</p></div>