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Health-related behavior change after cancer: results of the American Cancer Society’s studies of cancer survivors (SCS)

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Abstract

Introduction

Cancer survivors are known to make positive health-related behavior changes after cancer, but less is known about negative behavior changes and correlates of behavior change. The present study was undertaken to examine positive and negative behavior changes after cancer and to identify medical, demographic, and psychosocial correlates of changes.

Methods

We analyzed data from a cross-sectional survey of 7,903 cancer survivors at 3, 6, and 11 years after diagnosis.

Results

Of 15 behaviors assessed, survivors reported 4 positive and 1 or 0 negative behavior changes. Positive change correlated with younger age, greater education, breast cancer, longer time since diagnosis, comorbidities, vitality, fear of recurrence, and spiritual well-being, while negative change correlated with younger age, being non-Hispanic African American, being widowed, divorced or separated, and lower physical and emotional health. Faith mediated the relationship between race/ethnicity and positive change.

Conclusions

Cancer survivors were more likely to make positive than negative behavior changes after cancer. Demographic, medical, and psychosocial variables were associated with both types of changes.

Implications for cancer survivors

Results provide direction for behavior interventions and illustrate the importance of looking beyond medical and demographic variables to understand the motivators and barriers to positive behavior change after cancer.

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Acknowledgement

The American Cancer Society (ACS) Studies of Cancer Survivors (SCS) were funded as an intramural program of research conducted by the ACS Behavioral Research Center. We wish to acknowledge the cooperation and efforts of the cancer registries and public health departments from the states of Arizona, California (Regions 2–6), Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wyoming. We also thank the staff of the hundreds of hospitals that reported cases to the participating cancer registries. Lastly, we are grateful to the thousands of cancer survivors, their physicians, and their loved ones who contributed to the collection of these data. The authors assume full responsibility for analyses and interpretation of these data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, 4770 Buford Hwy, NE, MS K-55, Atlanta, GA, 30341, USA

    Nikki A. Hawkins, Juan Rodriguez & Zahava Berkowitz

  2. American Cancer Society, Behavioral Research Center, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Tenbroeck Smith, Luhua Zhao & Kevin D. Stein

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  1. Nikki A. Hawkins
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  2. Tenbroeck Smith
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  3. Luhua Zhao
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  4. Juan Rodriguez
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  5. Zahava Berkowitz
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  6. Kevin D. Stein
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Correspondence to Nikki A. Hawkins.

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The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Hawkins, N.A., Smith, T., Zhao, L. et al. Health-related behavior change after cancer: results of the American Cancer Society’s studies of cancer survivors (SCS). J Cancer Surviv 4, 20–32 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-009-0104-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-009-0104-3

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