Surveillance of Demographic Characteristics and Health Behaviors Among Adult Cancer Survivors
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Posted by: Natalia Gromov
Surveillance Summaries
Underwood JM, Townsend JS, Stewart SL, Buchannan
N, Ekwueme DU, Hawkins NA, Li J, Peaker B, Pollack LA, Richards TB, Rim SH,
Rohan EA, Sabatino SA, Smith JL, Tai E, Townsend G-A, White A, Fairley TL,
Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, National Center for Chronic Disease
Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC. MMWR Surveillance Summaries. January 20,
2012 / 61(SS01);1-23.
This report describes demographic characteristics
and health behaviors among adult cancer survivors as measured by the Behavioral
Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) in 2009. The 2009 BRFSS included
questions about previous cancer diagnoses, as well as an optional cancer
survivorship module that assessed cancer treatment history and health insurance
coverage for cancer survivors. All 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam,
Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands administered the core cancer
survivorship questions, and 10 states administered the optional supplemental
cancer survivorship module. Results showed that 7.2% of the U.S. adult
population reported having received a previous cancer diagnoses (excluding
nonmelanoma skin cancer). Approximately 15.1% of cancer survivors were current
cigarette smokers, 27.5% were obese, and 31.5% had not engaged in any
leisure-time physical activity during the past 30 days. The authors conclude
that health-care providers and patients should be aware of the importance of
preventive care, smoking cessation, regular physical activity, and maintaining a
healthy weight for cancer survivors.
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