Prevalência e padrões de coexistência de fatores de risco e proteção para o câncer na população adulta das capitais dos Estados e Distrito Federal

Abstract

Introduction: In the last decade, cancer has become the second leading cause of mortality in the world. Numerous cases could be avoided with the reduction of their behavioral risk factors, such as smoking, lack of physical activity practice, inadequate nutrition and abusive consumption of alcohol. Considering that the occurrence of risk factors relates to certain patterns of life, multiple risk factors can coexist in a single individual, demanding approaches focused on simultaneous analysis of factors for cancer prevention. Objective: To describe the prevalence of behavioral risk factors and protection for cancer and identify their patterns of coexistence in the Brazilian population. Methods: A sample of 95,027 adults ( 18 years) of the 2014/15 Vigitel, from capitals of States and Federal District of Brazil was used. The principal component analysis (PCA) was used for the identification of patterns (or components) of risk and protection factors for cancer (related to food consumption, physical activity, smoking, alcohol abuse and sedentary behavior). Linear regressions were used for sociodemographic contextualization of each pattern identified. Results: Four patterns were identified: "healthy", "not healthy (food)", "unhealthy" and "mixed". The first was characterized by frequent consumption of fruits and vegetables and the practice of physical activity in leisure time, being its adherence directly associated with the female gender, age group and education level. The second was characterized by frequent consumption of red meat, soft drinks and artificial juices, sweets, and by replacing the lunch/dinner for snacks and had their adherence inversely associated with the female gender and age group, but directly associated with the level of education. The third was characterized by frequent consumption of meat with excess fat, abusive alcohol consumption, smoking, by the habit of watching television for long periods and by obesity, and had its adherence inversely associated with the female gender and education level, with a peak in the age group between 25 and 44 years. The fourth pattern was characterized by frequent consumption of red meat, beans, meats with excess fat, and had inverse association to replacing lunch/dinner for snacks, the habit of watching TV for extended periods and to obesity. Conclusion: The high prevalence of risk factors and reduced frequency of those for cancer protection, along with the diversity of patterns including risk factors, exposes the high risk scenario for the disease in the country and poses a major obstacle to cancer prevention policies and programs in Brazil.