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. 2025 Apr 20;17(4):e82621.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.82621. eCollection 2025 Apr.

Healthy Habit Adherence in Uruguayan Women Under Breast Cancer Follow-Up

Natalia Camejo  1 , Cecilia Castillo  2 , Dahiana Amarillo  3 , Guillermo Caraballo  4 , Florencia Fernandez  4 , Maria Pia Fanco  4 , Mauro Gazzola  4 , Valeska Piñeiro  4 , Serena Rodriguez  4 , Guadalupe Herrera  5 , Gabriel Krygier  3
Affiliations

Healthy Habit Adherence in Uruguayan Women Under Breast Cancer Follow-Up

Natalia Camejo et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Introduction: Breast cancer (BC) ranks first in incidence and mortality among Uruguayan women. Healthy habits (HHs) - maintaining a healthy weight, engaging in regular physical activity, consuming fruits and vegetables (F&V), avoiding smoking, and limiting alcohol intake - are associated with better quality of life and reduced risk of recurrence. However, there is limited information on the prevalence of HH among Uruguayan women with BC.

Methods: This observational, descriptive, multicenter study included patients with stage I-III BC from public and private healthcare centers in Uruguay. Adherence to HH was assessed using a questionnaire based on the American Cancer Society guidelines, evaluating diet, physical activity, alcohol, and tobacco use. Patients were classified into low (0-2), moderate (3), and high adherence (4-5) groups. Associations with specific variables such as healthcare setting (private vs. public), age, cancer stage, and time since diagnosis were analyzed using the Chi-squared test.

Results: A total of 209 patients were included. Overall, 80.8% (169 patients) adhered to three or more HH. Higher adherence was observed among patients attending private centers (89.6%, 69 patients) compared to public ones (75.7%, 100 patients; p=0.014). The most commonly met habits were non-smoking (88.9%; 95% CI: 84.0%-92.6%), low alcohol intake (99.0%; 95% CI: 96.6%-99.7%), and body mass index (BMI) <30 kg/m² (68.9%; 95% CI: 62.3%-74.8%). Lower adherence was seen for sufficient physical activity (55.5%; 95% CI: 48.7%-62.1%) and adequate F&V intake (31.6%; 95% CI: 25.7%-38.2%). No significant differences were found in adherence according to age, stage, or time since diagnosis.

Conclusion: Although 80.8% of patients adhered to at least three HHs, critical areas for improvement remain, particularly physical activity and F&V consumption, especially in the public sector. These findings highlight the need for targeted strategies to promote HH in BC patients to improve long-term outcomes and quality of life. Results should be interpreted with caution due to the use of self-reported questionnaires and the non-probabilistic nature of the sample.

Keywords: breast cancer; healthy habits; lifestyle intervention; quality of life (qol); uruguay.

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Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Research Ethics Committee of the Hospital de Clínicas issued approval 48-24E. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

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