Omar Badran*, Ali Darawshe, Jonathan Green, Samih Yosef and Gil Bar-Sela
Background: Integrative oncology emphasizes the role of dietary and lifestyle factors in cancer recovery and survivorship. Cultural and ethnic differences may influence patients? behaviors following diagnosis. Objective: To evaluate ethnicity-based differences in dietary and lifestyle changes after breast cancer diagnosis in Israel and explore their associations with clinical and informational factors.
Material and methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted at a tertiary oncology center in northern Israel. A structured questionnaire was administered to 462 breast cancer patients (233 Arab and 229 Jewish women) during follow-up visits. Data included demographics, cancer stage, dietary habits before and after diagnosis, use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) and trust in health information sources. Non-parametric statistical tests were used.
Results: Arab women were significantly younger than Jewish women (mean age 47 vs. 56.9 years; p<0.0001). Post-diagnosis dietary changes were reported by 74% of Arab and 89% of Jewish women (p=0.0018). Sugar reduction was more common among Arab women (68.4% vs. 56.1%; p=0.0135), while meat reduction was more frequent among Jewish women (73.9% vs. 61.5%; p=0.0097). Among Arab women, an earlier cancer stage was associated with dietary change (p<0.00001). Lower trust in social media was associated with a greater likelihood of dietary change (p<0.0001). The use of CAM increased post-diagnosis in both groups, with no significant ethnic differences observed.
Conclusion: Ethnicity significantly influences dietary behavior and trust in health information among breast cancer patients. These findings support the need for culturally tailored, evidence-based nutritional counseling as part of integrative oncology care.
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Journal of Integrative Oncology received 495 citations as per Google Scholar report
