Health-related behaviors of adult male cancer survivors in Korea: A propensity score matching analysis of data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VII-VIII (2016– 2021)

Abstract

Abstract Purpose Studies that have compared the overall health behaviors of male survivors of cancer and the population without cancer in South Korea are limited. Therefore, we aimed to compare the quality of life and health-related behaviors of cancer survivors and the population without cancer in South Korea. Methods This cross-sectional, matched case-control study recruited Korean males aged 19–80 years from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) VIII. Of the 11,760 participants, 349 cancer survivors and 1,047 controls without cancer were matched by 1:3 propensity score matching using age, cohabitation, household income, education level, employment status, type of job, and private insurance. Height, weight, smoking status, drinking status, and physical activity status were also recorded. Results The cancer survivors had lower odds of being overweight and higher odds of being former smokers and drinkers than the controls after adjusting for potential confounders. The cancer survivors and controls showed no significant differences in physical activity or food consumption. No significant differences were noted among the young adults. However, the middle-aged and older male cancer survivors were more likely to be overweight and obese, respectively. The middle-aged survivors were also more likely to be former smokers, while the older survivors were more likely to be former drinkers. Conclusion The cancer survivors were more likely to have a normal weight, be past smokers, or be former drinkers. Education on cancer prevention is required to improve health-related behaviors and prevent secondary cancer.