Nutritional Status, Beliefs, and Meat-Consumption Behaviors Among Cancer Patients

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the nutritional status, beliefs, and meat-consumption behaviors of a sample group of cancer patients. The relationship between beliefs and meatconsumption behaviors were analyzed in 385 new cancer patients without chewing and swallowing problems. All patients were diagnosed at Songklanagarind Hospital, Songkhla. The data were collected by questionnaire and analyzed statistically. The results showed that most patients were female (66.2%) with an average age of 54 years. Most patients (32.7%) had female genital organ cancers and 46.8% were in stage 4 of disease. 42.6% of patients were treated with a combination of chemotherapy and radiology. The baseline body mass index (BMI) of the majority of patients (41.1%) was normal (18.5-22.9 kg/m2). The nutritional status of most patients (71.7%) was in level A, defined as no or low risk of malnutrition. The majority of patients believed that all kinds of fermented meat, beef, and processed meat would promote cancer growth and progression. On the other hand, most patients believed that the consumption of marine fish and freshwater fish would not accelerate cancer-cell proliferation. One week before using the questionnaires, most patients had consumed a diet containing marine fish, whole eggs, and freshwater fish, according to their belief that these kinds of food products would not cause cancer progression. The consumption attitudes of these cancer patients significantly affected their meat-consumption behaviors, including their diets of beef, pork, chicken, whole chicken eggs, whole duck eggs, marine fish, freshwater fish, shrimp, squid, shellfish, crab, sausages, Chinese sausages, meatballs, and salted fish (P<0.05). This study showed that the patients' beliefs resulted in reduced dietary meat consumption. Meat is a major source of protein and primary energy for the body. Low levels of meat consumption can result in malnutrition among cancer patients. Enhanced dietary education for cancer patients, regarding appropriate meat consumption, is urgently needed to improve their nutrition and treatment outcomes.