Racial Background and Health Behaviors Among Adults With Cancer in Canada: Results of a National Survey.

Abstract

This study was an assessment of the impact of racial background on health behaviors among Canadian adults with a concurrent or past history of a cancer diagnosis. The Canadian Community Health Survey datasets (2015-2018) were accessed, and adults (age ≥18 years) with cancer were reviewed. Information about the racial background, socioeconomic status, and different health behaviors was reviewed. Multivariable logistic regression analyses for factors associated with different health behaviors were conducted. A total of 20,514 participants with a history of cancer were considered eligible and were included in the analysis. Compared with individuals who self-identified as White, those who self-identified as indigenous were less likely to have received an influenza vaccination in the past year (odds ratio [OR], 1.253; 95% CI, 1.084-1.448), less likely to have drunk alcohol in the past 12 months (OR, 0.641; 95% CI, 0.546-0.752), more likely to be current smokers (OR, 2.245; 95% CI, 1.917-2.630), and more likely to have used recreational drugs in the past 12 years (OR, 1.488; 95% CI, 1.076-2.057). Compared with individuals who self-identified as White, those who self-identified as non-White and nonindigenous were less likely to have received an influenza vaccination in the past year (OR, 1.207; 95% CI, 1.035-1.408), less likely to have drunk alcohol in the past 12 months (OR, 0.557; 95% CI, 0.463-0.671), and less likely to be current smokers (OR, 0.605; 95% CI, 0.476-0.769). Within the Canadian context, there is a considerable variability in the health behaviors of adults with cancer according to their racial background. There is a need to tailor the survivorship care planning of patients with cancer based on socioeconomic context.