Study on dietary pattern and physical activity before diagnosis of cancer in cancer patients of a teaching hospital of Jharkhand: A pilot study

Introduction: Cancer is among the leading causes of death worldwide. It poses a major threat to public health worldwide, and incidence has increased in most countries since 1990. The study aims to find any association between dietary factors and physical activity with the risk of cancer. Material and Methods: The study was conducted at Oncology, Surgery, Gynecology and Medicine department of RIMS, Ranchi. The study was conducted from Sept.2017- Nov.2017 (three months). It was a case-control (analytical) hospital based study. The sampling technique used was simple random sampling. A total of 30 cases and 30 controls was studied considering the limitation of time and resources. Data recorded in pretested and predesigned Performa after taking their consent. Data were compiled and analyzed using proper statistical methods. Results: In our study, majority of the cases were female, mostly were of age group more than 40 yrs. Most of them were Hindu, non-tribal & mostly illiterate and self-employed. Most of the cases were non-vegetarian and consumed low amount of cereals and vegetables. We found that cancer patients (66.7%) consumed less than 250gms of vegetables per day(p<0>higher amount of alcohol consumption. Conclusion: It may be concluded from the study that diet pattern and physical activity do have a role in Cancer etiology but needs a larger sample size to establish it.