Impact of a primary care intervention on smoking, drinking, diet, weight, sun exposure, and work risk in families with cancer experience

Background Modifying multiple behavior risks is a promising approach to reduce cancer risk. Primary prevention advices of the European Code against Cancer were included in an educational intervention (EI) using social cognitive theories for motivating families with cancer experiences to adopt six cancer prevention behaviors. Methods A randomized clinical controlled trial recruited 3,031 patients from Primary Care among cancer patients' relatives. The experimental group (EG) received four EI, one EI every six months, focused on tobacco, alcohol, diet, weight, sun and work, and based on social cognitive models. The impact of the first three EI was calculated measuring at baseline and 18 months later: (a) The percentage of people with each risk behavior; (b) The score reached in a Total Cancer Behavioral Risk (TCBR) indicator; (c) The Odds Ratios at the post-test. Results Five risk behaviors decreased significantly more (p < 0.01) in the EG than in the CG: Smoking (OR = 0.662), drinking (OR = 0.504), diet (OR = 0.542), weight (OR = 0.698), and sun (OR = 0.389). The TCBR indicator also decreased an average of nearly 5 points (28.42 vs. 23.82), significantly more (p < 0.001) in the EG. Conclusion Families with cancer experiences changed five cancer risk behaviors when approached in Primary Care with interventions based on social cognitive models.