The FLASHE Study: Racial and Sex Disparities in Adolescent and Parent Modifiable Cancer Risk Behavior.

Understanding modifiable risk factors related to cancer among adolescents and their parents may help identify at-risk populations and intervention aims for reducing cancer risk among families. Participants were 1336 adolescent-parent dyads who participated in the 2014 Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating (FLASHE) conducted by the National Cancer Institute. Using independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA, we assessed differences in mean behavioral scores by sex and race/ethnicity, respectively. For this nationwide sample, non-Hispanic black adolescents and parents were significantly (p < .05) more likely to participate in multiple dietary and sedentary behaviors than their Hispanic and non-black counterparts. Male adolescents reported significantly higher consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and processed and red meats than their female peers (p < .02 for all). We also found a strong positive association between adolescents' and their parents' dietary and sedentary behaviors (p < .001 for all). Sex and racial differences in cancer-related health behaviors among adolescents and their parents suggest current guidelines for cancer may benefit from inclusion of younger populations and families. Effective health interventions targeting adolescent-parent dyads may help reduce cancer risk among multiple populations simultaneously.