Health Locus of Control and Health Behaviours in Lung Cancer Patients

A K Asthana A K Asthana,H S Asthana H S Asthana,Medha Tripathi Medha Tripathi

doi:10.25215/0303.192

A K Asthana A K Asthana, H S Asthana H S Asthana + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.25215/0303.192

Copy DOI

Abstract

With growing number of cancer survivors, health behaviours may become relevant not only to prevention of cancer recurrence and improved survival, but also to quality of life and the reduction of risk for other chronic diseases. Given the importance of relatively good health as a basis for many of life’s pursuits and pleasures, it is understandable that cancer patients would seek to avoid illness and death, and indefinitely seek to obtain a state of better health. The present study aimed at studying the relationship of health behaviours and health locus of control in patients diagnosed with lung cancer. Results show that internal health locus of control was positively correlated with health promoting behaviours and negatively correlated with health impairing behaviours and external health locus of control was negatively correlated with health promoting behaviours and positively correlated with health impairing behaviours.

Highlights

With growing number of cancer survivors, health behaviours may become relevant to prevention of cancer recurrence and improved survival, and to quality of life and the reduction of risk for other chronic diseases
A non-experimental, correlational design was used to evaluate the relationship between health behaviours and health locus of control in patients diagnosed with lung cancer
The present study was conducted on 77 males and 26 females diagnosed with lung cancer

Summary

Introduction

With growing number of cancer survivors, health behaviours may become relevant to prevention of cancer recurrence and improved survival, and to quality of life and the reduction of risk for other chronic diseases. Lung cancer is the most common type of cancer found (11.7% of all cancer) in Indian population and is the third largest cause of mortality due to cancer in India. It has become a key public health issue which requires immediate action. A large amount of research has linked health risk behaviours in cancer patients with increased levels of morbidity and mortality. The 2003 American Cancer Society (ACS) Guide for Informed Choices, Nutrition and Physical Activity During and After Cancer Treatment noted that current data support ‘‘probable’’ and ‘‘possible’’ benefit for several health behaviours, such as eating more fruits and vegetables and less saturated fat and increasing physical activity (Brown et al 2003). While the literature remains tentative and conflictual (Gapstur and Khan 2007) there is evidence that, following cancer, increased levels of exercise and healthier diets, including increased fruit and vegetable intake, are related to lower recurrence and lengthened survival (Holmes et al 2005; Meyerhardt et al 2008; Pierce et al 2007) and possibly reduced risk of developing second cancers (Doyle et al 2006)

Objectives

Discussion

Conclusion