Study of the behavioral patterns and risk factors of gastric cancer patients in Tabriz

Abstract

Background & Objectives: Gastric cancer is known as the fourth common cancer and the second cause of cancer death worldwide. Different factors such as environmental-occupational, underlying, behavioral-nutritional factors lead to the development and progression of the cancer. This research aimed at examining the behavioral patterns and risk factors in gastric cancer patients in Tabriz hospitals and comparing them with the hospitalized patients with a noncancerous problem. Methods & Materials: It was a descriptive-analytic case-control research. For sampling, simple sampling method and matchmaking method were used respectively for the case group and control group. The statistical population included 175 the gastric cancer patients as the case and 350 the hospitalized patients as the control. Three researcher-made questionnaires, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and the Maryland Trait and State Depression (MTSD) Scale were used for data collection. Finally, the data were analyzed using SPSS 23 software and taking advantage of suitable statistical tests (Paired t-test, independent ttest, Chi-square, descriptive statistical methods, factor analysis and exploratory methods). Results: The results indicated a significant difference between the mean of nutritional patterns (P=0.001), behavioral patterns (P=0.000), depression (P=0.001), occupational and environmental factors (P=0.012), and underlying factors (P=0.001) in the case and control groups. The case group members had more unhealthy behavioral-nutritional patterns, they were more accustomed to sleep after eating, to drink tea immediately after meals, to use pickles with food, to smoke, and they were not accustomed to consume fruits and vegetables sufficiently. They were A positive blood type, male gender,history of gastric ulcer, overweight and they had depression problems a higher risk of gastric cancer. The questionnaire for examining behavioral patterns and gastric cancer risk factors has appropriate psychometric features and suitable fitness in a 5-factor structure. Conclusion: The results and the fact that the change in the behavioral patterns is effective in gastric cancer indicate that further recognition of behavioral patterns and gastric cancer risk factors can be a critical step in preventing and training health in the country.