Cross-sectional study uncovers high rates of physical inactivity and smoking in childhood cancer survivors, indicating pain and fatigue are key modifiable targets for intervention.
Key Points
To establish the baseline prevalence and risk factors associated with poor lifestyle behaviours among childhood cancer survivors in a multicenter European cohort.
Recruited 812 childhood cancer survivors across Belgium, Sweden, Czechia, and Italy within the PanCareFollowUp cohort, analyzing data from 777 participants.
Assessed self-reported poor lifestyle behaviours, defined as low physical activity (<150 min moderate/vigorous or <75 min vigorous weekly), current smoking, alcohol consumption (≥3 units/week), and past-year illicit drug use.
Utilized multivariable logistic regression to determine associations between lifestyle behaviours and sociodemographic traits, cancer history, physical health, pain, fatigue, and empowerment.
Among 777 survivors, 27% reported low physical activity, 19% consumed ≥3 alcohol units per week, 15% smoked, and 9% used drugs in the past year.
Current smoking prevalence varied substantially across countries, with the highest rates observed in Czechia (23%) and Italy (22%), compared to Belgium (10%) and Sweden (5%).
Male sex, lower educational attainment, reduced physical health, pain, and fatigue were significantly associated with engaging in poor lifestyle behaviours.