A cancer diagnosis is often conceptualized as a teachable moment when individuals might be motivated to make lifestyle changes.
Many prostate cancer survivors, however, do not adhere to dietary guidelines. In this article, we explore how cancer affected prostate cancer survivors' diets and identify important influences on diet. Twenty prostate cancer survivors completed three 24-hour dietary recalls and an in-depth dietary interview. We analyzed interviews using a constant comparison approach, and dietary recall data quantitatively to assess quality and qualitatively to identify food choice patterns. Most men reported not making dietary changes following their cancer diagnosis but did express an interest in healthy eating, primarily to facilitate weight loss. Men portrayed barriers to healthy eating that often outweighed their motivation to eat healthy. Public health programs should consider alternative ways of framing healthy eating programs for prostate cancer survivors that might be more effective than a cancer-specific focus.
Written by:
Coa KI, Smith KC, Klassen AC, Thorpe RJ Jr, Caulfield LE. Are you the author?
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Drexel University School of Public Health, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Reference: Qual Health Res. 2015 Jun;25(6):857-70.
doi: 10.1177/1049732315580108
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 25857653