Table 2.
Bivariate Comparisons of Healthful Diet by Characteristics of Sample Participants (n = 53).
| Participant Characteristics | % of Sample | Average Number of Recommendations Met | Average Healthy Eating Index Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | |||
| Age range, years | |||
| 47-54 | 28 | 4.4 | 67.4* |
| 55-74 | 72 | 4.1 | 61.2 |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 40 | 3.5*** | 56.6*** |
| Female | 60 | 4.7 | 67.1 |
| Race/ethnicity | |||
| White | 60 | 4.3 | 63.8 |
| Black | 36 | 3.8 | 60.8 |
| Asian or Pacific Islander | 4 | (too few to include) | |
| Marital status | |||
| Married/living as married | 60 | 4.3 | 63.1 |
| Not currently married | 40 | 4.0 | 62.8 |
| Household size | |||
| Lives alone | 23 | 4.5 | 68.9* |
| Lives with others | 77 | 4.1 | 61.2 |
| Education | |||
| High school/Technical | 19 | 3.0*** | 51.7*** |
| College or graduate degree | 81 | 4.5 | 65.6 |
| Occupational status | |||
| Currently working | 51 | 4.6* | 65.5 |
| Not currently working | 49 | 3.8 | 60.3 |
| Household income, $ | |||
| <50 000 | 21 | 3.1** | 55.2* |
| ≥50 000 | 71 | 4.5 | 65.4 |
| Don’t know/refused | 8 | (too few to include) | |
| Cancer experience | |||
| Cancer type | |||
| Breast | 47 | 4.7** | 67.6** |
| Prostate | 38 | 3.5 | 56.9 |
| Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma | 15 | 4.5 | 63.9 |
| Age at diagnosis, years | |||
| 33-59 | 62 | 4.2 | 65.3* |
| 60-70 | 38 | 4.1 | 59.0 |
| Years since diagnosis, years | |||
| 2-4 | 49 | 3.7** | 60.6 |
| 5-24 | 51 | 4.7 | 65.2 |
| Health and well being | |||
| SF-12 Physical Health subscalea | |||
| 17.6-49.9 | 31 | 4.0 | 62.6 |
| 50.0-65.6 | 69 | 4.3 | 63.4 |
| SF-12 Mental Health subscalea | |||
| 27.2-49.9 | 15 | 4.8 | 62.4 |
| 50.0-65.6 | 85 | 4.1 | 63.3 |
| No. of comorbidities (of 12 common chronic conditions)b | |||
| None, or 1 | 53 | 4.1 | 66.4 |
| 2 or more | 47 | 4.3 | 62.2 |
| Body mass index (BMI) | |||
| Underweight/Normal weight | 32 | 4.9** | 69.7 ** |
| Overweight/Obese | 68 | 3.9 | 59.8 |
| Tobacco use history | |||
| Current/Former smoker | 38 | 3.5*** | 60.5 |
| Never smoked | 62 | 4.6 | 64.5 |
| Current physical activity level | |||
| <150 min weekly (moderate intensity) | 45 | 4.0 | 62.8 |
| ≥150 min weekly (moderate intensity) | 55 | 4.4 | 63.0 |
Based on complete responses from 52 participants.
Whether respondents had been told by a doctor that they had: arthritis or rheumatism, diabetes/high blood sugar/sugar in urine, inflammatory bowel disease/colitis/Crohn disease, bleeding from stomach ulcers, chronic lung disease/bronchitis/emphysema, heart failure/congestive heart failure, stroke/brain hemorrhage, hypertension/high blood pressure, myocardial infarction/heart attack, angina/chest pain, cirrhosis/liver disease, or depression or anxiety.
Trend toward statistically significant difference in means, P < .10.
Statistically significant difference in means, P < .05.
Statistically significant difference in means, P < .01.