Health perceptions and risk behaviors of XXXX survivors.

@entity1 @entity5 @entity167 @entity1149 @entity2 @entity4874
BACKGROUND: Lung @entity5 survivors are at an increased risk for recurrence and the development of secondary @entity5 and other comorbid conditions. However, little is known about @entity2 survivors' risk behaviors and the effect of these behaviors on overall health perceptions. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of health risk behaviors among @entity1149 survivors and their relationship perception to overall health. METHODS: One hundred forty-two survivors of @entity1149 with a minimum of 5 years disease free completed a battery of questionnaires to assess perception of health status and self-reported risk behaviors (smoking, exposure to secondhand smoke, @entity167 use) and weight before and after diagnosis. Urinary @entity4874 level was used to verify smoking status, and actual height and weight were obtained to determine overweight status (body mass index, >/=25). Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Seventy percent of @entity1 reported their health as good to excellent. Although 81% quit smoking after diagnosis, 13.4% continued to smoke and 28% reported exposure to secondhand smoke. Approximately half the sample (58%) drank @entity167 (16.3% quit after diagnosis) and was overweight (51%). A strong agreement between current smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke was observed. In a multivariate analysis, smoking (odds ratio [OR], 7.02; CI, 2.45 to 20.13), exposure to secondhand smoke (OR, 5.37; CI, 2.42 to 11.95), @entity167 use (OR, 9.04; CI, 3.28 to 24.92), and overweight (OR, 8.51; CI, 3.44 to 21.10) were independent predictors of perceived poor health status. CONCLUSION: Although most @entity2 survivors have made healthy lifestyle changes, a substantial proportion has not. Our findings suggest the need for multiple risk factor interventions to decrease risk behaviors and improve overall health after a @entity5 diagnosis.
