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Evaluating Nutritional Knowledge and Physical Activity in Patients with Gastrointestinal Cancers and Their First Degree Relatives Compared with Non-Relatives.

BACKGROUND
Cancer is considered as one the preventable and manageable diseases. Promotion of a healthy diet and physical activity should be one of the major priorities of national strategy in cancer prevention. Aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional knowledge and physical activity in patients with gastrointestinal cancers and their first degree relatives as compared with non-relatives.


METHODS
This study was done as case-control study. Patients with gastrointestinal cancers older than 18 years of age who were diagnosed from April 2007 to June 2012 and their first degree relatives and also non-relatives were included. A total of 230 persons composed our studied population. Demographic characteristics, level of nutritional knowledge and physical activity were studied by the use of related standard questionnaires.


RESULTS
based on the results of univariate analysis of variance, the mean score of total nutritional knowledge in all domains were more in non-relatives group and was similar in patients and their relatives.About 43.9%, 26.4% & 29.7% of the studied persons had severe, moderate and mild physical activity respectively.On comparing the level of physical activity among 3 groups using chi-square test; patients had the least physical activity than their relatives and also non-relatives.


CONCLUSIONS
With respect to the role of inappropriate dietary regimen and lack of physical activity in developmentof gastrointestinal cancers, educational interventions in the field of promoting nutritional knowledge and giving importance to physical activity in general and in high risk individuals specifically seems necessary to prevent cancer.