The relationship of chronic disease conditions to mental and physical health among cancer survivors

Purpose: This study examined the relationship between the presence of chronic disease conditions and mental and physical health among cancer survivors in the United States. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis utilizing survey data from the 2016–2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) on 65,673 eligible cancer survivors. The primary outcomes of interest were self-rated metal/physical health in the past 30 days. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression were used to examine the mentioned association. Results: 15.3% and 24.8% of survivors reported having several days of poor mental and physical health (14–30 days compared to 0–13 days), and 42.4% of survivors reported having one to two chronic diseases. In multivariate analysis, survivors with one to two chronic diseases were more likely to report several days of poor mental (OR, 2.74; 95% CI, 2.22–3.38) and physical (OR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.72–2.22) health. Survivors with 3+ chronic diseases had markedly higher odds of having several days of poor mental (OR, 6.41; 95% CI, 5.19–7.91) and physical health (OR, 4.71; 95% CI, 4.16–5.34). Among survivors with at least one chronic disease, older age, insured, and more perceived social/emotional support were negatively associated with mental health (p value <0.05). Similarly, older age was related to fewer days of poor physical health (p value <0.05) regardless of chronic disease conditions. Conclusion: Having chronic diseases was associated with more days of poor mental and physical health among cancer survivors. Integrated, extensive care should include mental/physical health components and chronic disease management in cancer survivorship care.