Abstract
BackgroundThe effectiveness of health interventions can be impaired by low socio-economic status and poor living conditions of the target population. However, the specifics of this problem in rural China are still unclear, and appropriate strategies should be explored.MethodsIn 2013, we conducted a questionnaire-based investigation among 410 participants from a population-based esophageal cancer cohort study in rural Anyang, China. Information regarding their demographic characteristics, levels of exposure to four health-risk behaviors, including smoking, alcohol consumption, risky dietary behaviors and poor hygiene, as well as willingness to change these behaviors, and data on potential predictors of willingness to change behaviors were collected.ResultsIn this study, 33.3% (23/69), 25.0% (13/52), 60.7% (68/112) and 62.2% (237/381) of respondents reported that they were willing to change smoking, alcohol consumption, risky dietary behaviors and poor hygiene, respectively. Older people had higher exposure levels and less willingness to change these four health-risk behaviors. The levels of these four health-risk behaviors were negatively associated with willingness to change, while faith in people and behavioral change in surrounding people increased willingness to change risky behaviors.ConclusionsIn behavior-intervention-based health-promotion programs in rural China, the elderly and highly exposed populations should be the most difficult part and community- or household-based intervention would be more efficient.
Highlights
Esophageal cancer (EC) is among the top causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide, resulting in 406,800 deaths annually [1]
The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript
In 2007, a population-based prospective cohort study was initiated in rural Anyang, focusing on the association between esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection [4]
Summary
Esophageal cancer (EC) is among the top causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide, resulting in 406,800 deaths annually [1]. In high-incidence area of China, a series of behavioral and environmental factors have been proposed to be potentially associated with the occurrence of ESCC, including cigarette smoking [6,7], alcohol consumption [8,9], risky dietary behaviors [10,11], and HPV infection [12,13]. These findings further argue for the primary prevention of ESCC in China via the management of relevant health-risk behaviors in high-risk populations, which was supposed to be cost-effective [14]. The specifics of this problem in rural China are still unclear, and appropriate strategies should be explored
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