When it comes to our food choices most of us tend to think it's personal. We berate ourselves for that morning doughnut or for not skipping the breadbasket at lunch. But, as it turns out, your diet may not be just about you. Those closest to you—family, significant person, and friends—may also influence your efforts to maintain a healthy lifestyle, for better or worse.
For cancer survivors, adhering to a healthy lifestyle can be especially important. A recent study led by Dr. Heather Greenlee and her team examined how perceived social support from family, friends, and significant others, which could be a close friend that is seen as more than a friend, affects the diet and physical activity choices of Latina/Hispanic women with a history of breast cancer.
“Even though it is well-known that close social ties hold high value within the Latino/Hispanic culture, research on how perceived social support and health outcomes connect within this population is needed,” explained Dr. Amanda Marin-Chollom, leading author of the study. “Research on the mechanisms that explain these connections is also necessary to create successful diet and physical activity interventions,” Marin-Chollom added.
Breast cancer remains the leading cause of death among Latina/Hispanic women. As the study authors note, this group is also more likely to face comorbidities like diabetes, which can be mitigated by improved diet and physical activity. “Latina/Hispanic women also tend to be diagnosed with later stage breast cancer that is harder to treat, resulting in long-term physical and psychological consequences. Given the potential benefits that physical activity and a healthy diet have for cancer survivors, it is important to understand mechanisms that can increase these healthy lifestyle habits, especially in populations at risk for poorer breast cancer outcomes,” the authors added.
Dr. Greenlee's team used data from the "¡My Vida Saludable!" trial, a culturally tailored diet and physical activity program, to understand how perceived social support influences dietary and physical activity behaviors and whether higher levels of perceived social support lead to higher likelihood of meeting national dietary and physical activity guidelines. Participants were recruited from breast cancer registries at an urban oncology center in New York City and other collaborating medical institutions from 2016 to 2017.
The study included 85 Latina/Hispanic women who were breast cancer survivors, aged 18 years or older, with no evidence of recurrent or metastatic disease. The women also consumed fewer than five servings of fruits and vegetables daily or engaged in less than 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week. The participants were at least 90 days post-treatment and had not smoked within the last 30 days.
The study found that having higher perceived social support from family or a significant other significantly increased the chances of women meeting dietary guidelines for fruit and vegetable intake. However, this support network did not appear to influence physical activity levels. Interestingly, the women who reported higher levels of perceived social support tended to be younger, have higher incomes (above $30,000), and were more integrated into mainstream American culture. Further investigation is needed to explore the influence of these factors.
Overall, this study “suggests that perceived social support from family or a significant person in an individual's life can encourage Latina/Hispanic women breast cancer survivors to eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables and low in energy density to meet national guidelines for cancer survivors,” explained Marin-Chollom.
Moving forward, the researchers aim to explore how to systematically incorporate social support into behavioral interventions that typically focus on individuals rather than involving family or significant others. “Further research will try to replicate our findings in a larger sample and measure different components of social support to get a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between social support and health outcomes within the Latina/Hispanic women breast cancer survivor population,” Marín-Chollom concluded.
The spotlighted research was supported by grants from the National Cancer Institute and the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center Avon Pilot Study award.
Fred Hutch/University of Washington/Seattle Children's Cancer Consortium member Dr. Heather Greenlee contributed to this work.
Marín-Chollom AM, Rillamas-Sun E, Koch PA, Contento IR, Gaffney AO, Ulanday KT, Hershman DL, Greenlee H. Social Support, Diet, and Physical Activity among Latina/Hispanic Women Breast Cancer Survivors. J Immigr Minor Health. 2024 Jul 2. doi: 10.1007/s10903-024-01614-5.
Joss Landazuri is a PhD candidate at the University of Washington in the Microbiology program working at the intersection of biomedical science, public policy, and science diplomacy. As a Latina scientist, communicator, and policy advocate, she is passionate about leveraging her academic training, personal background, and cultural heritage to engage underserved communities in both science and the policymaking process.
For the Media