Evidence map›Paper›PMID 23695026›Full record

ArticleBritish journal of cancer2013

Is a cancer diagnosis a trigger for health behaviour change? Findings from a prospective, population-based study.

K Williams, A Steptoe, J Wardle

Open access · hybridAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in British journal of cancer, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 80 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
80citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
6.3field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

80 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 149 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Systematic review and meta-analysis of maintenance of physical activity behaviour change in cancer survivors.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2019
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  5. Professional patient navigation in a hospital setting: a randomized controlled trial.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2021
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  16. Small steps, big impact: redefining cancer survival through lifestyle.Journal of the National Cancer Institute · 2025
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  20. Oncologists' communication about tobacco and alcohol use during treatment for esophagogastric cancer: a qualitative observational study of simulated consultations.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2024
    Observational

20 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

K WilliamsHealth Behaviour Research Centre, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
A Steptoe
J Wardle
University College London · GB

Funding

Project-001R01AG017644 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF LONDON INST OF NEUROLOGY · PI Andrew Steptoe · 2000 to 2026
$56.2M
Cancer Research UK 14133Cancer Research UK C1418/A14134Medical Research Council G0701830NIA NIH HHS 2R01AG017644NIA NIH HHS 2R01AG7644-01A1NIA NIH HHS R01 AG017644
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundA healthy lifestyle following a cancer diagnosis may improve long-term outcomes. No studies have examined health behaviour change among U.K. cancer survivors, or tracked behaviours over time in survivors and controls. We assessed smoking, alcohol and physical activity at three times (0-2 years before a cancer diagnosis, 0-2 years post-diagnosis and 2-4 years post-diagnosis) and at matched times in a comparison group.

methodsData were from waves 1-5 of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing; a cohort of older adults in England. Behavioural measures were taken at each wave. Generalised estimating equations were used to examine differences by group and time, and group-by-time interactions.

resultsOf the 5146 adults included in the analyses, 433 (8.4%) were diagnosed with cancer. Those with a cancer diagnosis were less likely to be physically active (P<0.01) and more likely to be sedentary (P<0.001). There were no group differences in alcohol or smoking. Smoking, alcohol and activity reduced over time in the whole group. Group-by-time interactions were not significant for smoking (P=0.17), alcohol (P=0.20), activity (P=0.17) or sedentary behaviour (P=0.86), although there were trends towards a transient improvement from pre-diagnosis to immediately post-diagnosis.

conclusionWe found little evidence that a cancer diagnosis motivates health-protective changes. Given the importance of healthy lifestyles, strategies for effective support for behaviour change in cancer survivors need to be identified.

Indexed as

Health BehaviorAgedCohort StudiesFemaleHumansLife StyleMaleNeoplasmsProspective StudiesUnited Kingdom

Identifiers

PMID23695026
PMCPMC3681023
OpenAlexW2059332828

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-SA
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.