Dietary behaviours, physical activity and quality of life among childhood cancer survivors in Mainland China: A cross‐sectional study

Abstract

Objective To examine the dietary behaviours, physical activity (PA) and quality of life (QoL) of childhood cancer survivors (CCS) in Mainland China and explore the relationships between these behaviours and QoL. Methods This cross‐sectional study recruited 181 CCS from three Grade‐A tertiary hospitals in Guangzhou. Survivors completed questionnaires assessing their dietary behaviours, PA and QoL. Results Only 2.2%, 7.7% and 2.2% of CCS reported frequent soft drinks, sugar and fast food intake, which were lower compared to CCS in Western studies. Most survivors (72.9%) failed to drink milk daily, and many (54.7%) were picky eating. Sixty percent of CCS reported less moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity (MVPA) time than 60 min/day recommended by WHO. Picky eating was significantly associated with lower overall (p < 0.001), physical (p < 0.001) and psychosocial (p < 0.001) QoL. MVPA was significantly positively associated with overall (p < 0.05) and psychosocial (p < 0.01) QoL. Conclusions Chinese CCS engaged better dietary behaviours of less soft drinks, sugar and fast food consumption, but many were picky eaters and did not meet milk intake and PA recommendations. Early behavioural interventions aimed at increasing the dietary diversity and MVPA level of this population should be taken to improve their QoL.

Dietary Intake and Diet Quality of Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancer and the General Population: Results from the SCCSS-Nutrition Study

“…Our finding that the majority of CCSs does not fully adhere to national dietary recommendations is in line with previous studies among CCSs [ 6 , 10 , 14 , 15 , 41 , 42 ]. The low fiber intake we observed, of 12 g/day compared to the recommended DACH intake of ≥30 g/day [ 39 ], has also been reported for both short-term and long-term CCSs [ 6 , 11 , 43 , 44 ].…”

“…A Chinese study including 181 CCSs reported less soft drink, sugar, and fast-food consumption compared to Western studies. However, 55% of the CCSs reported picky eating, of whom 58% refused to eat vegetables [ 15 ].…”

Childhood cancer survivorship in China: An overview of the past two decades

“…42 Additionally, pick-eating was associated with lower QOL, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was associated with higher QOL among childhood cancer survivors. 42 Only two eligible studies on QOL of childhood cancer survivors off treatment were identified in the literature published in Chinese language, where QOL of 140 child survivors of lymphoma and 80 healthy controls in Zhanjiang and Shenzhen were included. 56 One study showed that compared with healthy controls, survivors 1-year post-remission had worse scores in the domains of role function, social function, economic status, and general health; additionally, survivors 5-year postremission still had worse scores in social function and general health.…”

Supervised Exercise Interventions in Childhood Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

“…As an effective nonpharmacological therapy, exercise plays an essential role in the treatment of CCSs, which can improve motor function ability and exercise tolerance [ 9 , 10 ]. However, up to 60~75% of CCSs’ level of daily physical activity does not meet the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended average of 60 min per day of at least moderate-intensity physical activity [ 11 , 12 , 13 ]. Physical inactivity has been identified as an important reason for diminished physical function in CCSs [ 14 ].…”