Cancer is something that humans still do not fully understand, which is why it can be fascinating, terrifying, and often deadly. Because it is so powerful and frightening to us, scientists are constantly trying to learn more about it. The peer-reviewed Journal article “Positive and Negative Health Behavior Changes in Cancer Survivors” does a good job at discussing the changes in people after surviving cancer.
The journal article is about a study that’s based on behavioral changes and coping perspectives of cancer survivors. I believe that the independent variable is surviving cancer, and the dependent variable is lifestyle change. For their study, researchers mailed out 600 questioners to cancer survivors, and 250 were completed and returned. The participants were about two-thirds women, and one-third men. The mean age was of the participants was 45 years. The journal article has many interesting facts and is very informative.
The article “Positive and Negative Health Behavior Changes in Cancer Survivors” says that after surviving cancer, many people feel vulnerable. Feelings of vulnerability in cancer survivors often result in a new respect for their body and good health, which lead to positive health changes. The most common health change that cancer survivors make is an improved diet. Other healthy changes that were often observed were increased amounts of exercise and sometimes more sleep. Although the majority of the cancer survivors experience healthy changes, many used negative coping mechanisms and therefore experienced negative health changes. The article says, “In a study done on young adult survivors, higher levels of life stress were related to higher levels of risky behaviors”. Another common negative health change in cancer survivors is lack of sleep. These changes are due to positive and negative coping mechanisms, which are discussed in chapter 12 of the textbook (Weiten. Psyshology themes & variations, 7th edition, briefer version).
The study focused on the “reports of actual change rather than intentions to make change”, which is something that no one has done before. They found that more survivors reported positive changes than negative changes. The researchers hypothesized that “approach coping would be related to adaptive health behavior, while avoidant coping would be related more to negative health behavior changes”, which has recently been supported by studies described in the article.
There are so many people that are suffering from cancer these days. Several people in my life have suffered from cancer, and I have noticed positive lifestyle changes in all of them after diagnosis. I choose this to read and write this report on “Positive and Negative Health Behavior Changes in Cancer Survivors” because I wanted to learn more about what people with cancer go through and why they make the lifestyle changes that they do. Now that I have read this article I feel that I can understand cancer survivors much better, which may allow me to help them better if I am ever put in that position as caregiver.
“Positive and Negative Health Behavior Changes in Cancer Survivors” is a very interesting and enlighten article on a topic that anyone can learn more about. It is very different from the Popular Press article, “In Health: Strength in Numbers” by Margret Farley Steele, because it is written in a scientific way, it’s not as biases, and is very factual. Because it is peer reviewed, has great references, and from the Journal of Health and Psychology, I believe that it is a very creditable article. It makes some great points and I recommend it for others to read.
Crystal L. Park, Donald Edmondson, Juliane R. Fenster, & Thomas O. Blank. (2008). Positive and Negative Health Behavior Changes in Cancer Survivors. Journal of Health Psychology. Retrieved February third, 2009 from hpq.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/13/8/1198.pdf
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