Exercise behaviors and cancer prevention: Does cancer family history and cancer worries predict for physical activity?

objective

The purpose of this study was to determine the associations between cancer family history, cancer worries, cancer risk perception, and exercise behaviors, while controlling for covariates such as gender, race/ethnicity, BMI, marital status, household income, and education.

methods

Data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) (3rd cycle of the 4th iteration) was used for all analyses. Ordered logistic regression analyses were utilized to model the independent variables associated cancer risk perceptions and cancer worry. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to analyze relationships between physical activity behavior (dependent variable), cancer risk perceptions, cancer worry and cancer family history (independent variables).

results

The sample comprised of females (61.37%; n=1,614) and males (38.63%; n=1,062). Almost half of the participants were married (48%) and the average age was 54 years old. Cancer family history was associated with cancer risk perceptions and cancer worry (P<0.05). Women had higher cancer worry than men (OR = 1.515, OR 95% CI = 1.154 – 1.989, p<0.05), while whites had a higher lifetime cancer risk perception compared to other racial groups (OR = 1.601, OR 95% CI = 1.019 – 2.515, p<0.05). There was no statistically significant relationship between cancer risk perceptions and cancer worry and physical activity behavior (p>0.05).

conclusions

The results from this study confirm that Health Education Specialists have the challenge of promoting physical activity as a form of cancer prevention. While the general population more readily accepts medical interventions, such as screenings, as a method of disease prevention, additional awareness campaigns are needed to illustrate that a cancer family history can be addressed with primary prevention.