Prevalence and associated factors of poor lifestyle behaviours in survivors of childhood cancer: a PanCareFollowUp substudy

PURPOSE: Poor lifestyle behaviours may contribute to the development or worsening of late effects after childhood cancer. The aims of this study were to determine the baseline prevalence and associated factors of poor lifestyle behaviours among childhood cancer survivors of the European PanCareFollowUp study cohort. METHODS: In Belgium, Sweden, Czechia, and Italy, 812 childhood cancer survivors were recruited. Outcomes were self-reported poor lifestyle behaviours, defined as low physical activity (<75 min of vigorous or <150 min of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week), current smoking (yes/no), alcohol consumption (≥3 units of alcohol per week), and drug use in the past year (yes/no). The prevalence of poor lifestyle behaviours was calculated and associations with sociodemographic characteristics, cancer history, physical health, pain, fatigue, and survivors' level of empowerment were estimated using multivariable logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: For these analyses, 777 participants were included, of whom 27% of survivors reported low physical activity, 15% smoked, 19% consumed ≥3 units of alcohol per week, and 9% used drugs in the past year. The smoking prevalence differed per country and was highest among survivors from Czechia (23%) and Italy (22%) and lowest in Belgium (10%) and Sweden (5%). Associated factors with any of the four poor lifestyle behaviours included male sex, lower educational attainment, reduced physical health, pain, and fatigue. CONCLUSIONS: Study results show that survivors in each of the four countries may benefit from personalised interventions to promote healthier behaviours, and that reduced physical health, pain, and fatigue may present modifiable targets. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: These findings can be used to develop targeted lifestyle interventions, thereby optimising survivors' lifestyle behaviours, health outcomes, and quality of life.

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Publication Details

Journal
Journal of Cancer Survivorship
Published
2026-08-17
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-026-02099-x
Primary Topic
Childhood Cancer Survivors' Quality of Life
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Prevalence and associated factors of poor lifestyle behaviours in survivors of childhood cancer: a PanCareFollowUp substudy

Hannah Gsell, Line Elmerdahl Frederiksen, Maria Van Helvoirt, Helena J. H. van der Pal et al.
Journal of Cancer Survivorship
Childhood Cancer Survivors' Quality of Life
article

Prevalence and associated factors of poor lifestyle behaviours in survivors of childhood cancer: a PanCareFollowUp substudy

Hannah Gsell, Line Elmerdahl Frederiksen, Maria Van Helvoirt, Helena J. H. van der Pal, Marietta Kokla, Gisela Michel, Roderick Skinner, A Beccaria, Selina R. van den Oever, Samira Essiaf, Tomáš Kepák, Jeroen te Dorsthorst, Monica Muraca, Rosella Hermens, Eline Bouwman, Katharina Roser, Anne Uyttebroeck, Kateřina Kepáková, Cecilia Follin, Mieke Rijken, Ramona Tallone, Saskia M. F. Pluijm, Deveny Vanrusselt, Sabine Verschueren, Anita Kienesberger, Jeanette Falck Winther, Carina Schneider, Lars Hjorth, Kylie O’Brien, Jacqueline Loonen, Marleen Renard, Elizabeth Lieke A. M. Feijen, Leontien C. M. Kremer
article en

Abstract

PURPOSE: Poor lifestyle behaviours may contribute to the development or worsening of late effects after childhood cancer. The aims of this study were to determine the baseline prevalence and associated factors of poor lifestyle behaviours among childhood cancer survivors of the European PanCareFollowUp study cohort. METHODS: In Belgium, Sweden, Czechia, and Italy, 812 childhood cancer survivors were recruited. Outcomes were self-reported poor lifestyle behaviours, defined as low physical activity (<75 min of vigorous or <150 min of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week), current smoking (yes/no), alcohol consumption (≥3 units of alcohol per week), and drug use in the past year (yes/no). The prevalence of poor lifestyle behaviours was calculated and associations with sociodemographic characteristics, cancer history, physical health, pain, fatigue, and survivors' level of empowerment were estimated using multivariable logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: For these analyses, 777 participants were included, of whom 27% of survivors reported low physical activity, 15% smoked, 19% consumed ≥3 units of alcohol per week, and 9% used drugs in the past year. The smoking prevalence differed per country and was highest among survivors from Czechia (23%) and Italy (22%) and lowest in Belgium (10%) and Sweden (5%). Associated factors with any of the four poor lifestyle behaviours included male sex, lower educational attainment, reduced physical health, pain, and fatigue. CONCLUSIONS: Study results show that survivors in each of the four countries may benefit from personalised interventions to promote healthier behaviours, and that reduced physical health, pain, and fatigue may present modifiable targets. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: These findings can be used to develop targeted lifestyle interventions, thereby optimising survivors' lifestyle behaviours, health outcomes, and quality of life.

Journal of Cancer Survivorship
Radboud University Nijmegen (NL), University of Lucerne (CH), University of Eastern Finland (FI), Lund University (SE), Royal Victoria Infirmary (GB), Istituto Giannina Gaslini (IT), Radboud University Medical Center (NL), University Medical Center Utrecht (NL), Pintail (Ireland) (IE), University Hospital Brno (CZ), European Society for Paediatric Oncology (BE), Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NL), Princess Máxima Center (NL), St. Anne's University Hospital Brno (CZ), Skåne University Hospital (SE), Great North Children's Hospital (GB), Danish Cancer Society (DK), Wilhelmina Children's Hospital (NL), Newcastle University (GB), KU Leuven (BE)
European Commission, Horizon 2020
No poverty
Openalex Percentile: Top 6%
Childhood Cancer Survivors' Quality of Life
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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