Background. Health services play a critical role in secondary preventive care for people diagnosed with cancer. Advancements in early detection and treatments have advanced the life expectancy of people diagnosed with cancer. Cancer survivors are at increased risk of other – and multiple - chronic conditions, especially cardiometabolic diseases. As such, care to support healthy behaviours is increasingly recognised as an important health priority for cancer survivors. Little is known about health behaviours in First Nations and rural cancer survivorship populations to guide healthcare practice and service delivery in preventive care.
New Exploratory Data. In 63 cancer patients diagnosed with cancer in the previous year (median age 58 years, 31% First Nations survivors) we explored self-reported adherence to health behaviour guidelines. Most patients met guidelines for fruit (73%), red meat (76%), and alcohol (75%) intake, whereas few participants met guidelines for intake of vegetables (10%) and processed meats (33%), physical activity (25%), and smoking (32% current smokers). First Nations patients more frequently met guidelines than other patients for fruit intake and physical activity, but were less likely to have reported meeting guidelines for vegetable, red and processed meat, alcohol intake and smoking. Although there were some changes post-cancer diagnosis, about half of the patients reported no change in most behaviours.
What’s Next? Findings suggest First Nations patients may need additional support with nutrition and reducing smoking and alcohol intake. Brief interventions to support health behaviours have been developed for the general First Nations population but have not been trialled in cancer survivors. While they offer a potential way to support health behaviours, it is unclear how healthcare services may best deliver such interventions. The potential role for First Nations Cancer Nurse Navigators will be discussed.