We examine the bidirectional relationships between cancer risk perceptions and smoking behavior among newly diagnosed cancer patients (N=188) during hospitalization for surgical resection, and at three and 12 months subsequently. Those with higher perceptions of risk for developing another cancer at three months were most likely to abstain from smoking by twelve months. Patients were relatively accurate in their cancer risk perceptions, with relapsers and continuous smokers reporting higher levels of risk perceptions at twelve months. Finally, those who quit smoking by 12 months felt at lower risk for developing cancer by 12 months. None of these relationships were significant between baseline and three months. Results indicate that perceived risk of cancer recurrence may be clinically useful in motivating smoking cessation after the acute cancer treatment phase is over. This study justifies an expanded theoretical framework attending to the distinct, prospective influences of illness risk perceptions on health behavior, and of health behavior on illness risk perceptions.
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Notes
Out of our initial sample of 188 patients, we retained 148 (79%) at 12 months. Those who were retained at 12 month assessment did not differ from those who were missing on baseline perceived risk or smoking status (all ps > .05).
We did not test the accuracy hypothesis at baseline because we did not have available data to calculate smoking behavior profiles at that time period.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This work was supported by NIH grants R29 CA70830, T32 CA0009461, and K07 CA098106. We thank Jane Gooen-Piels, Ph.D., Peggy Maher, Ph.D., Sunita Mohabir, M.A., Valerie Rusch, M.D., and Ashok Shaha M.D. for their support in conducting the study, as well as Jennifer Ford, Ph.D. and Kevin McCaul, Ph.D., for their helpful comments on the manuscript.
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Hay, J.L., Ostroff, J., Burkhalter, J. et al. Changes in Cancer-Related Risk Perception and Smoking Across Time in Newly-Diagnosed Cancer Patients. J Behav Med 30, 131–142 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-007-9094-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-007-9094-7