Impact of adherence to healthy habits on the quality of life of cancer survivors: a study from Uruguay.

Introduction: Healthy habits such as regular physical activity, a balanced diet and tobacco abstinence are associated with better health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in cancer survivors. However, there is limited evidence on this relationship in Latin American countries, where socioeconomic and cultural factors may influence adherence to healthy behaviours.

Objectives: To evaluate the relationship between adherence to healthy lifestyle recommendations and HRQoL in cancer survivors in Uruguay.

Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 241 early-stage cancer survivors treated at two hospitals in Uruguay. Adherence to healthy habits was assessed using a questionnaire based on the American Cancer Society recommendations. HRQoL was measured using the RAND-36 questionnaire. Categorical variables were analysed using the chi-square test, while continuous variables were analysed using Student's t-test or the Mann-Whitney test. The correlation between SF-36 dimensions and healthy habits was assessed using Spearman's coefficient.

Results: The median age was 66.7 years and 55.2% were women. The most common cancers were breast (31.1%), colorectal (28.2%) and prostate (26.6%). A total of 62.7% of participants adhered to three or more healthy habits. Adherent patients showed significantly higher HRQoL scores, particularly in physical function (62.68 versus 45.67, p < 0.001), energy/fatigue (64.83 versus 45.89, p < 0.001) and emotional well-being (69.43 versus 53.02, p < 0.001). Adherence to multiple healthy habits was significantly correlated with improvements in physical and mental domains, with energy/fatigue showing the strongest correlation (rs = 0.66, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Adherence to healthy habits has a cumulative positive impact on the HRQoL of cancer survivors. This study highlights the need to design comprehensive interventions to promote healthy behaviours in this population, contributing to the global evidence on cancer care and underscoring its importance in developing countries.