Prevalence of and differences in participation restrictions among US cancer survivors

Being diagnosed with cancer and undergoing cancer treatment can have detrimental effects on the physical and mental functioning of individuals. Understanding the prevalence and specific differences in functioning difficulties experienced by cancer survivors can enhance future research. In this cross-sectional study of self-reported functioning, we used a United States (US) nationally representative sample of adults aged ≥20 years (n = 7764) to assess for differences in the prevalence of participation restrictions based on the global standard Washington Group on Disability Statistics Short Set on Functioning. We measured differences using adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), adjusted for sex, age, race and ethnicity, and educational attainment. Significant aPR differences were determined based on 95% CIs not including 1. Our final analytic sample included 908 cancer survivors (weighted prevalence, 9.1%; 95% CI, 8.4%–9.8%). We estimated that participation restrictions were 43.3% more common among cancer survivors than individuals with no cancer history (aPR, 1.433; 95% CI, 1.202–1.709). Among specific domains of functioning, cancer survivors experienced a significantly greater prevalence of difficulties with seeing, hearing, mobility, communicating, cognition, self-care, and upper-body functioning. Given the increasing number of cancer survivors in the US, it is crucial to develop interventions to reduce participation restrictions among this population and provide equal opportunities to fully engage in life without additional barriers.