A Comparative Study on Health Risk Factors between Cancer Patients and Healthy People

Lee, Hyang Yeon; Kim, Yoon Hee; Han, Sang Sook; Paik, Seung Nam; Won, Jeong Suk; Kim, Si Young; Jang, Mi Heui

Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to provide the basic data of a comprehensive counter-plan to promote health for people by comparing various factors related to cancer outbreak factors including general characteristics, health-related lifestyles, health promoting behaviors, perceived healthy status, life event stress and health care seeking behaviors with cancer patients and health people. METHOD: The study was designed to be a retrospective- comparison-survey-study and its data was collected through 5 types of questionnaires from September 2003 to December 2003. RESULTS: Cancer patients had lower education and household income, and many of them had no occupation. Cancer patients had a higher rate of smoking and drinking periods. Exercise level was higher in healthy people. However, Cancer patients were better in sleep and rest. In comparison with health promoting behaviors, it was higher in healthy people than in cancer patients but the two groups had no significant differences statistically. The perceived health status was higher in healthy people than in cancer patients. The health care seeking behaviors were higher in healthy people than in cancer patients. Cancer patients and healthy people's life event stress had no significant differences statistically. CONCLUSION: As a result of comparative analysis of cancer patients and healthy people's health risk factors, smoking, drinking period, regular exercise and health care seeking behaviors were suggested as direct or indirect risk factors for cancer patients. These finding can be applied to health promoting behavior programs to keep and promote optimal health status as well as to prevent cancer disease.