title: Health Promoting Lifestyle Among Israeli Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Childhood cancer survivors are at risk for recurrence of their primary cancer as well as other secondary site cancers. The survivors are also at increased risk for long-term effects such as chronic illnesses. Health promoting lifestyles are therefore especially important for childhood cancer survivors. The purpose of the study was to describe the health promoting behaviors of childhood cancer survivors and to determine whether these behaviors are associated with demographic and clinical characteristics. This is a descriptive-comparative study that took place in an oncology follow-up clinic in Israel.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-seven childhood cancer survivors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile 2, questionnaire (interpersonal relationships, spiritual growth, physical activity, nutrition, health responsibility, and stress management), and smoking and alcohol consumption and a demographic-clinical questionnaire. The mean item score was moderate-high. Survivors scored highest on interpersonal relationships and spiritual growth while the lowest scoring activities were physical activity and nutrition. About 30% of the survivors abstained from smoking and alcohol consumption. Women, as opposed to men, were more likely to have higher scores related to nutrition and interpersonal relationships while singles as opposed to those who were married were found to have higher scores related to spiritual growth.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Health behaviors associated with interpersonal relationships and spiritual growth were more likely to be performed compared to physical activity, good nutrition, and decreased smoking and alcohol consumption. Special attention should be placed on promoting physical activity and good nutrition among survivors of childhood cancer.
authors.affiliation: Hadassah/Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel michall2@hadassah.org.il.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liebergall-Wischnitzer
authors.affiliation: Clalit Health Services, Ashdod, Israel.
authors.forename: Moriya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buyum
authors.affiliation: Hadassah/Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Freda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: DeKeyser Ganz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012907:Smoking; D029181:Spirituality; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: childhood cancer survivors; health promotion; oncology; survivorship