Healthy Behaviors: Prevalence of Uptake Among Cancer Survivors.
Rachel Hirschey, Kirsten A Nyrop, Deborah K Mayer
PMID 32945809WHAT IT FOUND
Cancer survivors most often avoid tobacco, but many still need help with alcohol, diet, activity, sun, sleep and vaccines.
Nurses can assess, advise and refer using survivorship care plans to support these behaviors.
Key findings
01Refraining from tobacco is the most adopted healthy behavior among cancer survivors, but smoking rates are higher in some groups, including cervical cancer survivors at 49%, adolescent and young adult survivors at 33%, and melanoma survivors at 32%.
02The Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, Arrange framework is described as an effective smoking cessation strategy for nurses and other providers.
03Only 22% of cancer survivors meet recommended physical activity levels, and interventions described as most effective include supervised activity, goal setting, graded tasks and instructions.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This is a narrative review, not an original study, so it does not test an intervention or report new outcomes. It does not describe how studies were selected, appraised or combined, so the strength of the cited evidence is unclear. Prevalence and behavior patterns vary by cancer type, age, race or ethnicity, income and other factors, so it does not apply equally to all survivors. Statements that interventions are effective are summaries of other reports, not evidence from this paper. The paper is aimed at oncology nurses, so it gives little direct guidance for physical therapy, occupational therapy or speech-language pathology.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that nurse counseling improves cancer survival or behavior outcomes. It is a narrative review without original methods or results, and it summarizes other studies rather than testing an intervention.