Hybrid multi-criteria decision-making model for assessing perceived significance of 23 potentially modifiable cancer risk factors among senior nursing officers

Potentially modifiable cancer risk factors have been increasingly recognized among the Chinese population. In this study, we aimed to investigate the perceived significance of these risk factors among senior nursing officers, who play a crucial role in providing healthcare services. We also sought to determine senior nursing officers’ performance in reducing these risk factors.

A questionnaire survey regarding 23 potentially modifiable cancer risk factors was conducted in November 2023 with 58 senior nursing officers at Taizhou Hospital in Zhejiang Province, China. The consistent fuzzy preference relation method and importance–performance analysis were used to determine the attribute weights and performance levels.

The senior nursing officers considered diabetes, ultraviolet radiation exposure, PM_2.5 exposure, excess body weight, physical inactivity, alcohol consumption and secondhand smoking significant. However, performance in reducing secondhand smoking, physical inactivity, excess body weight, PM_2.5 exposure, and ultraviolet radiation exposure required improvement.

The proposed hybrid multiple-criteria decision-making model enhances our understanding of the perceived significance of 23 modifiable cancer risk factors and performance in reducing them, which could facilitate improvements in health education efforts.