Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2014 Aug;22(8):2207-17.
doi: 10.1007/s00520-014-2165-8.

Perceptions of risk among childhood and young adult cancer survivors who smoke

Jennifer S Ford, Elaine Puleo, Kim Sprunck-Harrild, Janet deMoor, Karen M Emmons

Perceptions of risk among childhood and young adult cancer survivors who smoke

Jennifer S Ford et al. Support Care Cancer. 2014 Aug.

Abstract

Purpose: Despite the fact that childhood and young adult cancer survivors are at increased risk for chronic health problems as a result of their cancer treatment, many use tobacco, thereby increasing their risks. Perceptions of risk related to tobacco use can be targeted for interventions aimed at improving health behaviors for childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancer survivors. Understanding the covariates of perceptions of health risks among young adult survivors who smoke will help to determine targets for intervention.

Method: Three hundred seventy-four participants who were diagnosed with cancer prior to age 35, currently between 18 and 55 years of age, and current smokers were recruited as part of a larger smoking cessation study, Partnership for Health-2 (PFH-2). Data were collected by telephone survey.

Results: Overall, women had the highest perception of risk for serious health problems, a second cancer, and heart problems. Additionally, those participants who were dependent on nicotine endorsed that they were at higher risk of serious health problems and second cancers, but not heart problems. Finally, Hodgkin lymphoma survivors reported that they were at increased risk for second cancers and heart problems compared to their “healthy” peers.

Conclusion: Young adult cancer survivors who smoke correctly perceived some of their increased health risks. Additional motivation and education is needed for those young adult cancer survivors who perceive their increased health risks yet continue to smoke. Further education is needed for young survivors so they have a fully appropriate sense of risk, especially as it relates to their tobacco use.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest The authors declare they have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Recruitment flow chart
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Ries LAG et al. SEER cancer statistics review, 1975–2005, in NIH publication, SEER Program (National Cancer Institute (U.S.)), et al., Editors. 2008, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute: Bethesda, Md. p. v
    1. National Cancer Institute (NCI) Office of Cancer Survivorship. U.S. National Institutes of Health. [cited 2013 April 22]; Available from: http://dccps.nci.nih.gov/ocs/
    1. Oeffinger KC et al. (2006) Chronic health conditions in adult survivors of childhood cancer. N Engl J Med 355(15):1572–1582 - PubMed
    1. (CDC), C.f.D.C.a.P (2004) Surgeon General’s report—the health consequences of smoking. 2004: Atlanta, GA
    1. Nathan PC et al. (2009) Health behaviors, medical care, and interventions to promote healthy living in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study cohort. J Clin Oncol 27(14):2363–2373 - PMC - PubMed