Greteman Breanna B, Cole Allison, Charlton Mary E, Shannon Jackilen, Kepka Deanna, Paskett Electra D, Borrayo Evelinn A, Studts Jamie L, Thompson Hayley S, Scarinci Isabel, Hinton Lynn Chollet, Chrischilles Elizabeth A, Garcia-Auguste Crystal J, Christini Kaila, Aker Heather, Plascak Jesse J, Harper Felicity W K, Baskin Monica L, Bae Sejong, Pandya Vishruti, Kim Young-Il, Faseru Babalola, Befort Christie, Kuo Hanluen, Dignan Mark, Canedo Juan, Champion Victoria, Drake Bettina F, Davis Kia L, Friedman Debra L, Elsaid Mohamed I, Mama Scherezade K, Cohn Wendy F
University of Iowa College of Public Health, Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
BMC Cancer. 2025 Jan 9;25(1):50. doi: 10.1186/s12885-024-13373-5.
The COVID-19 pandemic involved business closures (e.g., gyms), social distancing policies, and prolonged stressful situations that may have impacted engagement in health behaviors. Our study assessed changes in cancer-related health behaviors during the pandemic, specifically physical activity, fruit/vegetable intake, smoking/tobacco use, and alcohol consumption.
Eight cancer centers administered mailed/web-based/telephone surveys between June 2020 and March 2021. Surveys assessed demographics, perceptions on social distancing, and self-reported changes of behaviors (less/same/more) associated with cancer prevention or risk, e.g., physical activity, fruit/vegetable intake, tobacco/smoking use, and alcohol consumption. Descriptive analyses and logistic regression models assessed association of variables with behavior change.
Most of the 21,911 respondents reported adhering to at least 4(of 5) social distancing measures (72%) and indicated social distancing was very/somewhat important to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (91%). 35% of respondents reported less physical activity, 11% reported less fruit/vegetable intake, 27% reported more smoking/tobacco use (among those who used tobacco/smoking products in past 30 days), and 23% reported more alcohol consumption (among those who reported at least 1 drink in past 30 days) than before the pandemic. Urban residence, younger age, female gender, and worse general health were associated with less physical activity, less fruit/vegetable intake, more smoking/tobacco use, and more alcohol intake. Higher educational attainment was associated with less physical activity and fruit/vegetable intake and more alcohol consumption. Reporting social distancing as important and adhering to more COVID-19 safety practices were associated with less physical activity and more alcohol consumption.
Our findings suggest that certain demographics and those who adhered to social distancing measures were more likely to self-report unfavorable changes in health behaviors during the pandemic. Future studies should examine if the behaviors returned to baseline following relief from pandemic restrictions, and if these behavior changes are associated with increased cancer incidence and mortality.
新冠疫情导致商业场所关闭（如健身房）、实施社交 distancing 政策以及长期处于压力环境，这些可能影响了健康行为的参与度。我们的研究评估了疫情期间与癌症相关的健康行为变化，特别是身体活动、水果/蔬菜摄入量、吸烟/烟草使用和酒精消费情况。
八个癌症中心在2020年6月至2021年3月期间进行了邮寄/基于网络/电话调查。调查评估了人口统计学特征、对社交 distancing 的看法以及与癌症预防或风险相关的自我报告行为变化（减少/相同/增加），如身体活动、水果/蔬菜摄入量、烟草/吸烟使用和酒精消费。描述性分析和逻辑回归模型评估了变量与行为变化之间的关联。
21911名受访者中，大多数人报告至少遵守了5项社交 distancing 措施中的4项（72%），并表示社交 distancing 对预防新冠传播非常/有点重要（91%）。与疫情前相比，35%的受访者报告身体活动减少，11%报告水果/蔬菜摄入量减少，27%报告吸烟/烟草使用增加（在过去30天内使用过烟草/吸烟产品的人群中），23%报告酒精消费增加（在过去30天内至少喝过1杯酒的人群中）。城市居住、年轻、女性以及总体健康状况较差与身体活动减少、水果/蔬菜摄入量减少、吸烟/烟草使用增加和酒精摄入量增加有关。较高的教育程度与身体活动减少、水果/蔬菜摄入量减少和酒精消费增加有关。报告社交 distancing 很重要并遵守更多新冠安全措施与身体活动减少和酒精消费增加有关。
我们的研究结果表明，某些人口统计学特征人群以及遵守社交 distancing 措施的人群在疫情期间更有可能自我报告健康行为出现不利变化。未来的研究应考察在疫情限制解除后这些行为是否恢复到基线水平，以及这些行为变化是否与癌症发病率和死亡率增加有关。
