Adherence to dietary guidelines and associated factors among rural Australian cancer survivors: a cross-sectional study

This study aimed to explore levels of adherence to dietary guidelines, and factors associated with dietary guideline adherence, among rural Australian cancer survivors. A cross-sectional study was undertaken. We recruited a convenience sample of adults with cancer who attended the chemotherapy day unit or allied health appointments at a rural hospital in Baw Baw Shire, Victoria, Australia, between August 2017 and December 2021. Dietary guideline adherence was assessed by cross-referencing participants’ responses to an adapted version of the Dietary Questionnaire for Epidemiological Studies with dietary recommendations in Australian dietary guidelines. Binary logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with dietary guideline adherence for fruits and whole red meats. There were 107 rural cancer survivors (median age, 67 years). Dietary guideline adherence was highest for alcohol (88