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
. 2021 May;30(5):708-715.
doi: 10.1002/pon.5616. Epub 2021 Jan 2.

Problem alcohol use among rural head and neck cancer patients at diagnosis: Associations with health-related quality of life

M Bryant Howren  1   2   3   4 , Alan J Christensen  1   5 , Jenna L Adamowicz  1   6 , Aaron Seaman  1   4   7 , Shylo Wardyn  1   4 , Nitin A Pagedar  8
Affiliations

Problem alcohol use among rural head and neck cancer patients at diagnosis: Associations with health-related quality of life

M Bryant Howren et al. Psychooncology. 2021 May.

Abstract

Objective: Problem alcohol use in persons with head and neck cancer (HNC) is associated with poor outcomes, including survival. Some evidence suggests that individuals living in rural areas may be at greater risk of problem alcohol use. The present exploratory cross-sectional study sought to examine problem alcohol use at diagnosis in a sample of HNC patients by rural versus urban status.

Methods: Self-reported problem alcohol use as measured by the Short Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (SMAST) was examined in rural and urban HNC patients at diagnosis (N = 454). Multivariable linear regression analysis was conducted to examine correlates of problem alcohol use. Subgroup analyses examined HNC-specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL) by problem drinking status at diagnosis and 3- and 12-month postdiagnosis in rural patients.

Results: Multivariable linear regression analysis controlling for age, cancer site, cancer stage, depressive symptoms at diagnosis, and tobacco use at diagnosis indicated that rural residence was significantly associated with SMAST scores at diagnosis such that rural patients were more likely to report higher scores (ß = 0.095, sr2 = 0.010, p = 0.04). Covariate-adjusted subgroup analyses suggest that rural patients with self-reported problem alcohol use may exhibit deficits in HNC-specific HRQOL at diagnosis and 3- and 12-month postdiagnosis.

Conclusions: HNC patients should be screened for problem alcohol use at diagnosis and counseled regarding the deleterious effects of continued drinking during treatment and beyond. Because access to treatment and referral options may be lacking in rural areas, additional ways of connecting rural patients to specialty care should be explored.

Keywords: alcohol consumption; head and neck cancer; health-related quality of life; psycho-oncology; rural health.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

    1. Marziliano A, Teckie S, Diefenbach MA. Alcohol-related head and neck cancer: Summary of the literature. Head Neck 2020;42:732–738. - PubMed
    1. Potash AE, Karnell LH, Christensen AJ, et al. Continued alcohol use in patients with head and neck cancer. Head Neck 2010;32:905–912. - PubMed
    1. Viswanathan H, Wilson JA. Alcohol—the neglected risk factor in head and neck cancer. Clin Otolaryngol Allied Sci 2004;29:295–300. - PubMed
    1. Llewellyn CD, McGurk M, Weinman J. Are psycho-social and behavioural factors related to health related-quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer? A systematic review. Oral Oncology. 2005;41:440–454. - PubMed
    1. Funk GF, Karnell LH, Christensen AJ. Long-term health-related quality of life in survivors of head and neck cancer. Archives of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery. 2012;138:123–133. - PubMed

Publication types