Impact of immigration status on health behaviors and perceptions in cancer survivors

Cancer Medicine
Volume 8, Issue 5, 2019, Pages 2623-2635

Impact of immigration status on health behaviors and perceptions in cancer survivors (Article) (Open Access)

Liu S.Y. , Lu L. , Pringle D. , Mahler M. , Niu C. , Charow R. , Tiessen K. , Lam C. , Halytskyy O. , Naik H. , Hon H. , Irwin M. , Pat V. , Gonos C. , Chan C.W.T. , Villeneuve J. , Shani R.M. , Chaudhry M. , Brown M.C. , Selby P. , Howell D. , Xu W. , Alibhai S.M.H. , Jones J.M. , Liu G.* , Eng L.

^a Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Department of Medicine, Princess Margaret Hospital/University Health Network and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
^b Department of Biostatistics, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre/University Health Network and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
^c Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
^d Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
^e Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
^f Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
^g Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
^h Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
ⁱ Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
^j Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
^k Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
^l Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
^m Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
ⁿ Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
^o Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
^p Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
^q Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
^r Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
^s Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
^t Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada, Departments of Family and Community Medicine and Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
^u Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
^v Department of Biostatistics, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre/University Health Network and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada, Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
^w Department of Medicine, University Health Network and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
^x Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada, Cancer Rehabilitation and Survivorship Program, Department of Supportive Care, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
^y Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Department of Medicine, Princess Margaret Hospital/University Health Network and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada, Department of Biostatistics, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre/University Health Network and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada, Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
^z Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Department of Medicine, Princess Margaret Hospital/University Health Network and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada, Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada, Department of Medicine, University Health Network and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

Abstract

Background: Health behaviors including smoking cessation, physical activity (PA), and alcohol moderation are key aspects of cancer survivorship. Immigrants may have unique survivorship needs. We evaluated whether immigrant cancer survivors had health behaviors and perceptions that were distinct from native-born cancer survivors. Methods: Adult cancer patients from Princess Margaret Cancer Centre were surveyed on their smoking, PA, and alcohol habits and perceptions of the effects of these behaviors on quality of life (QoL), 5-year survival, and fatigue. Multivariable models evaluated the association of immigration status and region-of-origin on behaviors and perceptions. Results: Of the 784 patients, 39% self-identified as immigrants. Median time of survey was 24 months after histological diagnosis. At baseline, immigrants had trends toward not meeting Canadian PA guidelines or being ever-drinkers; patients from non-Western countries were less likely to smoke (aORcurrent= 0.46, aORex-smoker= 0.47, P = 0.02), drink alcohol (aORcurrent= 0.22, aORex-drinker= 0.52, P < 0.001), or meet PA guidelines (aOR = 0.44, P = 0.006). Among immigrants, remote immigrants (migrated ≥40 years ago) were more likely to be consuming alcohol at diagnosis (aOR = 5.70, P < 0.001) compared to recent immigrants. Compared to nonimmigrants, immigrants were less likely to perceive smoking as harmful on QoL (aOR = 0.58, P = 0.008) and survival (aOR = 0.56, P = 0.002), and less likely to perceive that PA improved fatigue (aOR = 0.62, P = 0.04) and survival (aOR = 0.64, P = 0.08). Conclusions: Immigrants had different patterns of health behaviors than nonimmigrants. Immigrants were less likely to perceive continued smoking as harmful and were less likely to be aware of PA benefits. Culturally tailored counselling may be required for immigrants who smoke or are physically sedentary at diagnosis. © 2019 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Author Keywords

Immigration patient perceptions health behaviors cancer survivorship Alcohol smoking physical activity

Index Keywords

physical activity perception immigrant cancer patient drinking behavior alcohol consumption histology immigration human trend study Health Behavior cancer survival priority journal Aged quality of life smoking cancer survivor male female Article major clinical study adult disease association practice guideline Fatigue health survey

Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85066397535&doi=10.1002%2fcam4.2079&partnerID=40&md5=49d44fff45fc8c9efc93e835455e1219

DOI: 10.1002/cam4.2079

ISSN: 20457634

Original Language: English