Abstract
Objective: Associations between cancer beliefs and health behavior engagement are largely unexplored in cancer survivors, particularly among those with overweight and obesity. We investigated belief-behavior associations for cancer survivors, and whether obesity altered these associations. Methods: Cancer survivors were identified from the National Cancer Institute HINTS Survey 5 data and classified as having had an obesity-related cancer or not. Linear and multiple logistic regression analyses examined whether cancer risk beliefs and self-efficacy predicted dining out behaviors and physical activity (PA). Restricted analyses were conducted in those with overweight or obesity. Results: Low self-efficacy to take care of one's health was associated with longer sitting time in the overall sample (p = 0.04). In cancer survivors with overweight or obesity, engagement in healthier behaviors was associated with 1) feeling less overwhelmed by cancer risk recommendations and 2) believing that PA or obesity influences cancer development (both p < 0.05). Among those with overweight and obesity, associations between cancer beliefs and health behaviors were not significantly different by cancer type (obesity-related vs. not). Conclusions: Obesity altered associations between cancer risk beliefs and health behavior engagement from the overall sample. Practice Implications: Weight status may be a useful tailoring factor when delivering health-promoting interventions for cancer survivors.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2067-2072 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Patient education and counseling |
| Volume | 104 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 2021 |
Funding
AWL, KLG, and LEF were supported by NIH/NCI training grant T32 CA193193 (PI BS). SHM was supported by NIDDK F31 DK120151 . BS is supported in part by NIDDK R01 DK108678 and NCI P30CA060553 . Research reported in this publication was supported, in part, by the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences , Grant Number UL1TR001422 . The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. The authors are grateful for the NCI HINTS investigators for their dedication in data collection and support, as well as the reviewers and editors who have taken the time to improve this manuscript. The authors would like to thank the NCI HINTS participants for their contribution to research. We would also like to thank Leslie Tello for her assistance in the literature review.
Keywords
- Cancer
- Diet
- Health beliefs
- Obesity
- Physical activity
- Surveys
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Medicine
