Evaluation of the nutritional and physical activity habits towards protection from cancer of nurses in a Turkish hospital

Abstract

Background: In cancer prevention by health improvement and encouraging positive health behavior in individuals cancer prevention, important responsibilities fall on nurses, who may work in any field of health services. Thus it is important for nurses to adopt healthy dietary and physical activity habits themselves. Objectives: The goal of the study is to determine the nutritional and physical activity habits of nurses in Turkey towards protection from cancer, and to show related factors. Methods: This descriptive and cross sectional study was performed. A total of 342 nurses were included. Data was collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire and a questionnaire regarding the nutritional and physical activity habits of nurses towards protection from cancer. Data were evaluated by descriptive statistics, independent group t test, one-way ANOVA, and Perason correlation analysis. Results: The nutritional and physical activity scores average of the nurses were found to be average. Water consumption, calcium containing product consumption, and storage of foodstuff subgroup score averages of the nurses were found to be better; whereas the grain consumption, alcohol consumption, and weight control subgroup scores were found to be worse. It was found that nutritional habits were affected by age, gender, duration of working, educational status, the amount of alcohol consumed after starting to work in the occupation, and regular physical activity habits (p<0.01, p<0.05). Physical activity habits were found to be affected by BMI, the daily amount of cigarettes consumed after starting to work, alcohol consumption status, the presence of someone with cancer in the family, and fast food consumption status (p<0.01, p<0.05). Conclusion: According to the findings, it was determined that the nutritional and physical activity habits of nurses towards protection from cancer were not on the desired level and that certain socio demographical and occupational characteristics affect nutritional and physical activity habits negatively.