Racial Background and Health Behaviors Among Adults With Cancer in Canada: Results of a National Survey.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: This study was an assessment of the impact of racial background on health behaviors among Canadian adults with a concurrent or past history of a cancer diagnosis. METHODS: The Canadian Community Health Survey datasets (2015-2018) were accessed, and adults (age ≥18 years) with cancer were reviewed. Information about the racial background, socioeconomic status, and different health behaviors was reviewed. Multivariable logistic regression analyses for factors associated with different health behaviors were conducted. RESULTS: A total of 20,514 participants with a history of cancer were considered eligible and were included in the analysis. Compared with individuals who self-identified as White, those who self-identified as indigenous were less likely to have received an influenza vaccination in the past year (odds ratio [OR], 1.253; 95% CI, 1.084-1.448), less likely to have drunk alcohol in the past 12 months (OR, 0.641; 95% CI, 0.546-0.752), more likely to be current smokers (OR, 2.245; 95% CI, 1.917-2.630), and more likely to have used recreational drugs in the past 12 years (OR, 1.488; 95% CI, 1.076-2.057). Compared with individuals who self-identified as White, those who self-identified as non-White and nonindigenous were less likely to have received an influenza vaccination in the past year (OR, 1.207; 95% CI, 1.035-1.408), less likely to have drunk alcohol in the past 12 months (OR, 0.557; 95% CI, 0.463-0.671), and less likely to be current smokers (OR, 0.605; 95% CI, 0.476-0.769). CONCLUSIONS: Within the Canadian context, there is a considerable variability in the health behaviors of adults with cancer according to their racial background. There is a need to tailor the survivorship care planning of patients with cancer based on socioeconomic context.