Motivators and Barriers to Adoption of a Healthy Diet by Survivors of Stomach Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to identify motivators and barriers to adopting a high-quality diet by survivors of stomach cancer.

Background: Despite the benefits of a healthy diet and cancer survivors’ motivation to stay healthy, few cancer survivors meet commonly prescribed dietary guidelines, and there have been few studies on the adequacy of dietary management in gastric cancer survivors.

Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 124 adult survivors of stomach cancer. All patients were consecutively recruited from a single tertiary university hospital in South Korea from December 2015 to July 2016. Diet quality was assessed from patients’ food diary data on 3 non-consecutive days. The barriers and motivators to following the dietary plan were measured using questionnaires.

Results: Patients were more likely to consume amounts of carbohydrates if they perceived the presence of family and social support and personal disease control. Patients were more likely to consume appropriate carbohydrates and fats, and to have an appropriate intake of calcium if they perceived difficulties in eating with others. Patients were less likely to consume appropriate calcium if they perceived personal limits in their knowledge of shopping and cooking.

Conclusion: When caring for stomach cancer survivors, interventions that target patient-perceived barriers and motivators are likely to improve diet quality and lead to beneficial long-term improvements in health.