Assessing activity limitation among cancer survivors in Korea using data from a nationwide survey

Abstract

Background: More than 1 million cancer survivors reside in Korea. We here investigated activity limitations of cancer survivors compared to controls without a history of cancer. Materials and Methods: Using the 4th and 5th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007-2012) data, we identified 1,155 adult cancer survivors. Activity limitations were defined as limitation in activities of daily living, experience of lying in a sickbed, and number of days lying in a sickbed during the last month. Descriptive analysis and multiple logistic regression compared these measures for survivors and controls by sex and age groups. Results: Approximately 29.4% of cancer survivors reported limitation in activities of daily living, 14.6% experienced lying in a sickbed, and 4.3% experienced more than 15 days lying in a sickbed during the last month. After controlling for demographic and health-related factors, cancer survivors were more likely to report activity limitation than controls. The associations were similar across sex and age groups. Conclusions: Cancer survivors have increased activity limitation compared to controls and these limitations persist across sex and age. Targeted interventions and improved management are essential for improving cancer survivor daily life.