Nutritional guidance needs and influence factors for gastric cancer survivors in primary healthcare setting: a cross-sectional survey

This study aimed to build a comprehensive understanding of the nutritional guidance needs of gastric cancer survivors in the primary healthcare setting that could be fulfilled by community health service centers as part of their primary healthcare services.

Gastric cancer survivors were invited to participate in a questionnaire-based survey by convenience sampling method from the community health center. Relationships between nutritional demand and potential influence factors were examined by a multivariable logistic regression model.

A total of 200 gastric cancer survivors were recruited from the community health service center in Shanghai, China, from whom we obtained 194 valid questionnaires, resulting in a 97.0% response rate. Of these gastric survivor participants, 48 individuals (24.7%) expressed a need for nutritional guidance administered by community health service centers, whereas 146 participants (75.3%) held the perspective that such guidance was unnecessary. Preferences for nutritional guidance included having a dietitian as the provider (68.8%), home-based engagement (72.9%), face-to-face consultation (68.8%), individual counseling (87.5%), and beginning immediately post-discharge (89.6%). A notable reluctance (66.7%) towards financial contribution was also observed. After adjusting for confounders, participants with higher income level (odds ratio (OR) = 4.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.39–15.50), history of food intake reduction (OR = 14.96, 95% CI = 3.49–82.28), and gastrointestinal symptoms (OR = 4.40, 95% CI = 1.35–14.33) were more likely to seek nutritional guidance.

Gastric cancer survivors have a certain need for nutritional guidance administered by primary health service centers. Personal guidance by the primary health service center should be provided to gastric cancer survivors to support their dietary and nutritional intake needs.

There is a need to develop and implement nutritional guidance programs in community health service centers as part of their primary healthcare services for gastric cancer survivors.