Health Behaviors and their Relationship with Disease Control in People Attending Genetic Clinics with a Family History of Breast or Colorectal Cancer.
The current work aimed to assess health behaviors, perceived risk and control over breast/colorectal cancer risk and views on lifestyle advice amongst attendees at cancer family history clinics. Participants attending the East of Scotland Genetics Service were invited to complete a questionnaire (demographic data, weight and height, health behaviors and psycho-social measures of risk and perceived control) and to participate in an in-depth interview. The questionnaire was completed by 237 (49 %) of attendees, ranging from 18 to 77 years (mean age 46 (±10) years). Reported smoking rates (11 %) were modest, most (54 %) had a BMI > 25 kg/m2, 55 % had low levels of physical activity, 58 % reported inappropriate alcohol intakes and 90 % had fiber intakes indicative of a low plant diet. Regression analysis indicated that belief in health professional control was associated with higher, and belief in fatalism with poorer health behavior. Qualitative findings highlighted doubts about the link between lifestyle and cancer, and few were familiar with the current evidence. Whilst lifestyle advice was considered interesting in general there was little appetite for non-tailored guidance. In conclusion, current health behaviors are incongruent with cancer risk reduction guidance amongst patients who have actively sought advice on disease risk. There are some indications that lifestyle advice would be welcomed but endorsement requires a sensitive and flexible approach, and the acceptability of lifestyle interventions remains to be explored.
Centre for Research into Cancer Prevention and Screening, Division of Cancer Research, University of Dundee, Mailbox 7, Level 7, Ninewells Medical School, Dundee, DD1 9SY, UK. a.s.anderson@dundee.ac.uk.
Annie S
AS
Anderson
Centre for Research into Cancer Prevention and Screening, Division of Cancer Research, University of Dundee, Mailbox 7, Level 7, Ninewells Medical School, Dundee, DD1 9SY, UK.
Stephen
S
Caswell
Centre for Research into Cancer Prevention and Screening, Division of Cancer Research, University of Dundee, Mailbox 7, Level 7, Ninewells Medical School, Dundee, DD1 9SY, UK.
Maureen
M
Macleod
Centre for Research into Cancer Prevention and Screening, Division of Cancer Research, University of Dundee, Mailbox 7, Level 7, Ninewells Medical School, Dundee, DD1 9SY, UK.
Robert Jc
RJ
Steele
East of Scotland Genetics Service, Ninewells Hospital & Medical School, Dundee, DD1 9SY, UK.
Jonathan
J
Berg
East of Scotland Genetics Service, Ninewells Hospital & Medical School, Dundee, DD1 9SY, UK.
Jacqueline
J
Dunlop
Institute for Social Marketing, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK.
Martine
M
Stead
Institute for Social Marketing, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK.
Douglas
D
Eadie
Division of Psychology, School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK.
Ronan E
RE
O'Carroll
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking; D008875:Middle Aged; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012907:Smoking; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
Activity; Cancer; Control; Diet; Fatalism; Genetic; Lifestyle; Overweight