Health-risk behaviours among adolescent survivors of childhood cancer

Abstract

Background. The purpose of the study was to investigate smoking, alcohol use, illicit drug use and sexual risk taking among adolescent survivors of childhood cancer treated in Australia. Procedure. A comparison study selecting on exposure (cancer vs. healthy) and administering a branched computerised questionnaire assessing health-risk behaviour, predominately by telephone interview. One hundred fifty-three adolescent survivors of childhood cancer were compared with age matched healthy adolescents drawn from one of two Australian population based surveys of adolescent health. Behaviours assessed were tobacco use, alcohol use, binge drinking, cannabis use, pain reliever use, other illicit dru..