Understanding Multiple Behavioral Risk Factors for Cancer in Rural Women.
Devon Noonan, Latefa Dardas, Tiffany Bice-Wigington and 4 others
PMID 27377312WHAT IT FOUND
Rural low-income women often carried several cancer-risk behaviors at once: 42.1% had one, 27.6% two, and 7.7% three.
High BMI plus low activity was the common cluster, linked to lower income, poorer self-rated health, and depression screening.
Key findings
01Among 399 rural low-income women, 22.6% reported zero risk behaviors, 42.1% reported one, 27.6% reported two, and 7.7% reported all three.
02Among women with two or three risk behaviors (n=141), high BMI plus low physical activity was most common (36%), followed by high BMI plus smoking (26%) and smoking plus low physical activity (16%).
03Risk behavior groups differed significantly by income, perceived health status, and depression screening.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was not a random or representative sample of rural women in the United States. Smoking and physical activity were self-reported, so they may be over- or under-reported. Physical activity was measured as family activity, including the child's activity, not only the woman's own activity. Depression was screened with a tool that is not diagnostic, which may have over-reported depressive symptoms. The study analysed associations in survey data and did not test whether counseling or a multiple-behavior intervention changes risk behaviors or cancer risk.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that treating smoking, obesity, and low activity together will reduce cancer risk. This paper analysed associations in a nonrandom survey sample and did not test an intervention.