Exploring Sociodemographic and Lifestyle Risk Factors Associated with Cancer Among Patients at National Cancer Control Foundation,Yemen, 2024

Abstract

Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide and it is considered a main public health challenge. In 2020, data revealed 19.3 million new cancer cases and 10 million cancer-related deaths worldwide. So, this study aimed to identify and analyze the associations between sociodemographic and lifestyle factors and cancer risk among patients and provide valuable insights for targeted prevention and health education efforts.

Method: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with 234 cancer patients.

Results: The age ranged from 16 to 84 years, with a mean age of 43.48 ± 7.4 years. 57.3% of the participants were female, 70.1% lived in urban areas, 41.5% were smokers, and 52.6% were illiterate. The four most common types of cancer which were identified were breast (17.5%), lymph nodes (9.8%), colon (9%), and stomach (6.8%). There were significant differences between cancer incidence and the sociodemographic factors of marital status and educational level (p=0.0418 and p=0.000, respectively). Also, there was a relationship between cancer and lifestyle factors, including Qat chewing, smoking, and physical activity (p=0.000), among Qat chewers, cancer prevalence was higher in males (78%) compared to females (53.7%). Regarding smoking, cancer rates were 72.4% in females and 60% in males though non-smoking males had a slightly higher cancer incidence than non-smoking females, and in physical activity, the rate of cancer was significantly higher among both sexes.

Conclusion: Cancer risk was strongly associated with education level, Qatchewing, smoking, and lack of physical activity. Health education campaigns are recommended to raise awareness among the Yemeni population about cancer risk factors and further research to explore additional risk factors.