Cancer-related Health Behaviors Research Articles

Objective Cancer-Related Variables Are Not Associated With Depressive Symptoms in Women Treated for Early-Stage Breast Cancer

Women with breast cancer are thought to be vulnerable to depression for reasons associated with impact of diagnosis, treatment, and metabolic/endocrine changes. While the literature shows that most of these women do not become clinically depressed, 15% to 30% report elevated depressive symptoms that may be clinically important. The purpose was to identify and determine the relative importance of predictors of depressive symptoms in women treated for early-stage breast cancer. A total of 2,595 women (< or = 4 years following completion of initial treatment for early-stage breast cancer) provided data on cancer-related variables, personal characteristics, health behaviors, physical functioning/symptoms, and psychosocial variables. Participants were divided into high or low depressive groups using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale screening form. Results of the binary logistic regression analysis were significant (overall R2 = 32.4%). Before entry of psychosocial variables, younger age, being unmarried, poorer physical functioning, and more vasomotor and gastrointestinal symptoms were significant risk factors for elevated depressive symptoms (R2 = 16.1%), but objective cancer-related variables were not. After inclusion of psychosocial variables in the model (DeltaR2 = 16.3%), none of the preceding variables remained significant. Greater risk for depressive symptoms was associated with stressful life events, less optimism, ambivalence over expressing negative emotions, sleep disturbance, and poorer social functioning. Depressive symptoms in women treated for early-stage breast cancer are not associated with objective cancer-related factors. Rather, they are most strongly linked with many subjective psychosocial variables.

Ten-Year Changes in Cancer-Related Health Behaviors and Screening Practices among Latino Women and Men in California

Objective . This study examines changes in cancer-related health behaviors and risk factors (overweight/obesity, unhealthy diet, high alcohol use, and smoking), and screening practices related to cervical, breast, and colorectal cancer among Latinos of predominantly Mexican origin in Monterey County, California. Design . Data is from two cross-sectional surveys, conducted in 1990 and 2000, that included 919 women and 774 men from a community sample, and 276 men from an agricultural labor camp sample (ages 18–64). Results . Over the 10-year period, the prevalence of obesity increased by 48% among community women, 47% among community men, and 91% among labor camp men. Although consumption of fruits and vegetables remained low and consumption of fried foods remained high, other diet-related behaviors showed significant improvements (e.g. milk consumption shifted from whole-fat to lower-fat among women from the community and men from the labor camps, use of lard or meat fat when cooking decreased among women and men from the community). In addition, alcohol intake decreased among men from both samples, as did smoking among labor camp men. There were large improvements for annual pap and mammography screening (increases from 53 to 71% for pap testing, and from 15 to 53% for mammography screening) but annual blood stool testing remained infrequent and unchanged. Conclusion . These findings highlight the need for interventions and policies that improve knowledge, preventive care, and social environments to sustain improvements and address areas of special need in cancer prevention for Latinos, especially related to obesity and colorectal screening.

Health promotion and early detection of cancer in older adults: a practical approach.

Little is known about the cancer-related knowledge, attitudes and health behaviours of older adults (> 55 years), or about designing health promotion and early detection interventions responsive to their learning needs. A collaborative project was established with the intent of designing an appropriate program for older adults. The initial work included a community needs assessment using focus groups, one-on-one interviews and self-report surveys. The use of key community contacts was effective in locating older adult subjects (> 55 years) through pre-established linkages with agencies. Various ethnocultural groups, low income communities and isolated individuals, as well as other pre-established groups, were included in this study. The needs assessment found that: age is not perceived as a cancer risk factor; transportation is a barrier to screening; fear inhibits people from being screened; physicians are viewed as both the main source of expert cancer knowledge and as the gatekeepers to screening; family and peers are the main source of support, ethnospecific groups have different information needs; and finally, that lifestyle suggestions can reduce the risk of cancer. The findings indicated that community health promotion programs for older adults will require multiple approaches with a combination of strategies in order to meet their learning needs.