Health-Related Behaviours of Cancer Survivors: A Nationwide Korean Study

Abstract

This cross-sectional study investigated health -related behaviours in Korean cancer survivors by time after cancer diagnosis. The data of 50,532 subjects (aged 40 to 79 years) who participated in the 2007-2019 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES) were subjected to analysis. Health -related behaviours included obesity, current smoking, frequent drinking, influenza vaccination, health screening, and cancer screening. The odds for these behaviours were estimated by multivariate logistic regression models with adjustment for potential covariates. Approximately 5% of subjects were cancer survivors, and among these three -fifths were long-term (>= 5 years) survivors. Cancer survivors had healthier behaviours than non -survivors for almost all behaviours. However, these trends were attenuated in long-term survivors. In conclusion, healthy behaviour should be emphasised for long-term cancer survivors.