TABLE 1.
Characteristics of adult cancer survivors and individuals without cancer, NHANES 2003–20161
| Characteristics | Cancer survivors (n = 2772) | Individuals without cancer (n = 31,310) | P |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, y | 62.3 ± 0.38 | 45.5 ± 0.22 | <0.01 |
| Age groups, n (%) | <0.01 | ||
| 20–39 y | 196 (8.51) | 11,532 (39.5) | |
| 40–49 y | 224 (11.8) | 5634 (20.9) | |
| 50–59 y | 353 (18.1) | 4895 (18.4) | |
| 60–69 y | 666 (24.1) | 4824 (12.0) | |
| 70–79 y | 782 (24.2) | 2797 (6.14) | |
| 80–85 y | 551 (13.4) | 1628 (3.04) | |
| Sex, n (%) | <0.01 | ||
| Male | 1262 (40.0) | 15,388 (49.1) | |
| Female | 1510 (60.0) | 15,922 (50.9) | |
| Race/ethnicity, n (%) | <0.01 | ||
| Non-Hispanic white | 1844 (84.7) | 13,297 (67.1) | |
| Non-Hispanic black | 450 (6.69) | 6855 (11.8) | |
| Hispanic | 351 (4.89) | 8326 (14.2) | |
| Other | 127 (3.76) | 2832 (6.94) | |
| Education, n (%) | 0.33 | ||
| Less than high school | 690 (15.8) | 8238 (17.1) | |
| High school graduate/GED or equivalent | 649 (22.6) | 7296 (23.5) | |
| Some college | 783 (31.9) | 8984 (31.5) | |
| College graduate or above | 648 (29.7) | 6764 (27.9) | |
| Family income to poverty ratio,2n (%) | 0.02 | ||
| <1.30 | 895 (23.2) | 11,639 (26.2) | |
| 1.30–2.99 | 880 (28.3) | 9091 (27.3) | |
| 3.00–4.99 | 495 (22.1) | 5617 (22.9) | |
| ≥5.00 | 502 (26.4) | 4963 (23.6) | |
| Smoking,3n (%) | <0.01 | ||
| Nonsmokers | 1212 (43.4) | 17,239 (54.9) | |
| Former smokers | 1104 (39.0) | 7241 (23.2) | |
| Current smokers | 454 (17.6) | 6813 (21.9) | |
| Alcohol4 (drinks/wk), n (%) | <0.01 | ||
| Nondrinkers | 1320 (42.7) | 11,621 (32.5) | |
| Moderate drinkers | 1202 (50.5) | 15,551 (58.9) | |
| Heavy drinkers | 132 (6.82) | 2121 (8.61) | |
| Physical activity,5n (%) | <0.01 | ||
| Active | 1296 (50.8) | 17,351 (59.9) | |
| Inactive | 1476 (49.2) | 13,952 (40.1) | |
| HEI-20156 | 60.0 ± 0.32 | 56.9 ± 0.17 | <0.01 |
| HEI-2015 quartile,6n (%) | <0.01 | ||
| Q1 (0–50.6) | 195 (14.5) | 3900 (25.1) | |
| Q2 (50.7–56.3) | 312 (20.4) | 4295 (24.7) | |
| Q3 (56.4–62.4) | 441 (27.9) | 4765 (25.2) | |
| Q4 (62.5–100) | 643 (37.2) | 5016 (25.0) | |
| BMI,7 kg/m2 | 29.1 ± 0.17 | 28.8 ± 0.08 | 0.24 |
| Weight status, n (%) | 0.43 | ||
| Underweight (BMI <18.5) | 43 (1.62) | 479 (1.59) | |
| Normal weight (BMI = 18.5–24.9) | 716 (27.3) | 8606 (29.3) | |
| Overweight (BMI = 25.0–29.9) | 966 (34.0) | 10,287 (33.1) | |
| Obese (BMI ≥30.0) | 1000 (37.2) | 11,584 (36.0) | |
| Primary diagnosis, n (%) | |||
| Breast cancer | 475 (17.2) | – | |
| Prostate cancer | 470 (10.7) | – | |
| Colon cancer | 246 (7.04) | – | |
| Lung cancer | 69 (2.49) | – | |
| Other cancer | 1512 (62.5) | – | |
| Time since diagnosis, y | 11.4 ± 0.29 | – | |
| Time since diagnosis, n (%) | |||
| 0–4.99 y | 924 (31.1) | – | |
| 5.00–9.99 y | 637 (23.0) | – | |
| ≥10.0 y | 1211 (45.8) | – |
Values are means ± SEss or number of observations (n) and percentages (%). All values were adjusted for survey weights. GED, General Education Development; HEI, Healthy Eating Index; MVPA, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.
Represents the ratio of family income, the federal poverty threshold, adjusting for household size. For reference, the federal threshold in 2014 for a family of 4 was $23,850/y. A family of 4 earning $44,123/y would have a ratio of 1.85.
Smokers were defined as individuals who reported smoking ≥100 cigarettes during their lifetime, with former smokers defined as not currently smoking and current smokers defined as currently smoking.
Moderate drinkers were defined as individuals who reported drinking alcohol ≤1 drink/d for women and ≤2 drinks/d for men.
Minutes per week of MVPA was calculated by summarizing minutes, with vigorous physical activities weighted at 2 min for each minute of vigorous physical activity. Participants were classified as physically active if MVPA they met or exceeded 150 min/wk, according to the CDC Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (13).
HEI-2015 measures adherence to the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, with higher scores corresponding to higher adherence (14). HEI-2015 scores were categorized based on quartiles of HEI-2015 among individuals without cancer.
BMI was calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters squared. Participants were classified as underweight (BMI <18.5), normal weight (BMI = 18.5–24.9), overweight (BMI = 25–29.9), or obese (BMI ≥30).