Changing multiple health behaviors in cancer survivors: smoking and exercise

ABSTRACT

Research regarding cross-behavioral relationships between the cognitive mechanisms motivating health behavior change is lacking for cancer survivors. This study investigated these relationships to inform the development of multiple health behavior change (MHBC) interventions for this at-risk population. Eligible participants included cancer survivors attending an intake appointment for smoking cessation services. This cross-sectional survey study assessed participants’ self-efficacy and motivation (stage of change) for smoking cessation and exercise, as well as self-reported health behaviors. Analyses evaluated cross-behavioral associations between cognitive mechanisms and their relationships with smoking and exercise behaviors. Seventy-six participants completed the survey questionnaire. The correlation between self-efficacy scores for smoking cessation and exercise was statistically significant (r = .45, 95% CI [.09, .67]), as were correlations between self-efficacy and reported levels of exercise ((r = .44, 95% CI [.20, .65]) strenuous); ((r = .36, 95% CI [.12, .59]) moderate), exercise self-efficacy and smoking behavior (r = −.27, 95% CI [−.46, −.05]), and smoking self-efficacy and smoking behavior (r = −0.41, 95% CI [−.61, −.18]). For cancer survivors, associations between exercise self-efficacy and smoking cessation self-efficacy may offer an opportunity to leverage MHBC; specifically, this positive association may facilitate exercise intervention in survivors seeking smoking cessation services..

KEYWORDS:

• Cancer survivors
• multiple health behavior change
• exercise
• smoking cessation

Acknowledgments

The first author’s work was supported by the National Cancer Institute grant R25T CA057730. This research was also supported by the PROSPR shared resource (CA016672) and the Center for Energy Balance in Cancer Prevention and Survivorship, which is supported by the Duncan Family Institute for Cancer Prevention and Risk Assessment.

Compliance with ethical standards

• Ethical approval: All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

• Informed Consent: Informed consent was obtained from all study participants.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Cancer Institute [CA016672, R25T CA057730].