Coping strategies and cancer incidence and mortality: The Japan Public Health Center-based prospective study

Thomas Svensson; Manami Inoue; Norie Sawada; Hadrien Charvat; Motoki Iwasaki; Shizuka Sasazuki; Taichi Shimazu; Taiki Yamaji; Noriyuki Kawamura; Kenji Shibuya; Masaru Mimura; Shoichiro Tsugane; JPHC Study group

doi:10.1016/j.canep.2015.12.003

Coping strategies and cancer incidence and mortality: The Japan Public Health Center-based prospective study

Cancer Epidemiol. 2016 Feb:40:126-33. doi: 10.1016/j.canep.2015.12.003. Epub 2015 Dec 22.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Global Health Policy, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; Epidemiology and Prevention Group, Research Center for Cancer Prevention and Screening, National Cancer Center, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan; Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.
² Department of Global Health Policy, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; Epidemiology and Prevention Group, Research Center for Cancer Prevention and Screening, National Cancer Center, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan. Electronic address: mnminoue@m.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
³ Epidemiology and Prevention Group, Research Center for Cancer Prevention and Screening, National Cancer Center, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan.
⁴ Gyokikai Medical Corporation, Aoyama KK Building 7F, 2-26-35 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062, Japan.
⁵ Department of Global Health Policy, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
⁶ Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.
⁷ Epidemiology and Prevention Group, Research Center for Cancer Prevention and Screening, National Cancer Center, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan. Electronic address: stsugane@ncc.go.jp.

PMID: 26720912
DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2015.12.003

Abstract

Background: Psychological stress is a modifiable risk factor for health outcomes and can be managed through coping mechanisms. Biological and behavioral hypotheses have been proposed to explain the association between stress coping strategies and cancer outcomes.

Methods: The Japan Public Health Center-based study asked questions on coping behaviors in its 10-year follow-up survey. 55,130 subjects aged 50-79 without a history of cancer diagnosis and who provided complete answers on coping were included in analyses on cancer incidence and mortality. Hazard Ratios (HR) according to coping style were determined using Cox regression models adjusted for known confounders for cancer.

Results: Mean follow-up time was 9.5 years for cancer incidence and 9.8 years for cancer mortality. The utilization of the approach-oriented coping strategy (HR=0.85, 95% CI: 0.72-0.99) and a behavior of positive reappraisal (HR=0.84, 95% CI: 0.72-0.97) was associated with a reduced risk of cancer mortality. The approach-oriented coping strategy was further associated with localized cancer incidence (HR=1.13, 95% CI: 1.01-1.27) and screening-detected cancers (HR=1.35, 95% CI: 1.15-1.58). The avoidance oriented coping strategy was inversely associated with cancer incidence (HR=0.69, 95% CI: 0.50-0.94) only after excluding events occurring in the first three years of follow-up.

Conclusion: The results of this study may favor the behavioral hypothesis to explain associations between premorbid coping styles and cancer outcomes.

Keywords: Cancer; Cohort; Coping; Incidence; Japan; Mortality.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adaptation, Psychological*
Adult
Aged
Female
Humans
Incidence
Japan / epidemiology
Male
Middle Aged
Neoplasms / classification
Neoplasms / mortality*
Neoplasms / psychology*
Prospective Studies
Public Health
Risk Factors
Time Factors