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Prevalence of Most Cancer Risk Factors Unchanged Before, After Pandemic

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on April 24, 2025.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, April 24, 2025 -- Smoking rates continued to decline during the COVID-19 pandemic, but other major risk factors for cancer remained stable, according to a study published online April 23 in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

Priti Bandi, Ph.D., from the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, and colleagues compared the prevalence of major modifiable cancer risk factors, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, and screenings among U.S. adults during and after COVID-19 versus before the pandemic.

The researchers observed a decrease in the prevalence of smoking, from 14.2 percent in 2019 to 11 percent in 2023; higher prevalence persisted among American Indian/Alaska Native individuals, Black men, lower-educated individuals, and bisexual women. Between 2017 to March 2020 and August 2021 to August 2023, the prevalence of excess body weight remained stable (overweight, 31.8 percent; obesity, 40.4 percent). More than half (51.5 percent) of adults reported not meeting recommended aerobic activity levels, and 6.4 percent reported heavy alcohol use, with no change from 2020 to 2022. Up-to-date HPV vaccination prevalence was unchanged between 2021 and 2023 (61.4 percent in those aged 13 to 17 years) compared with a previously increasing trend. U.S Preventive Services Task Force recommendation-concordant prevalence of screening increased for breast and colorectal cancer from 2019 to 2023 (79.9 and 60.4 percent, respectively), rebounding from declines or stable trends noted during 2019 to 2021.

"Despite historic reductions in smoking levels and improvement in breast and colorectal cancer screenings, including following the COVID-19 pandemic, obesity rates remain high and unchanged, physical activity levels remain suboptimal, and HPV vaccination levels have plateaued since 2021," the authors write.

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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

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Posted April 2025

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