Korea's alarming stomach cancer rates have long been a concern. In 2019, this disease accounted for 11.6 percent of all cancer cases, with 29,493 new diagnoses.

A recent study shed light on the key risk factors associated with stomach cancer, highlighting physical inactivity as the most prevalent among both males and females.

The research, conducted by the National Cancer Center's team led by Professor Choi Kui-son, analyzed 3,539 adults aged 40-74 with no cancer history, using data from the 2019 Korean National Cancer Screening Survey.

The study aimed to uncover patterns of lifestyle risk factors and their connection to stomach cancer screening adherence.

Among the six lifestyle risk factors studied, physical inactivity emerged as the most common for both genders.

Defined as not engaging in at least 75 minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activity per week, as recommended by the World Health Organization, it accounted for 61.5 percent of the study population. Smoking was the next highest risk factor for men, affecting 52.2 percent, while salty food consumption ranked highest for women, at 28.5 percent.

Many participants exhibited multiple risk factors for stomach cancer. About 58.5 percent of men and 36.8 percent of women had two or more risk factors, with 26.3 percent of men and 8.7 percent of women having three or more.

In terms of combinations, physical inactivity paired with high salted food intake was the most common among females (12.1 percent), followed by physical inactivity and overweight or obesity (8.1 percent). For males, the combination of smoking and physical inactivity was most frequently observed, affecting 13.6 percent.

Notably, the study found that individuals with three or more combined risk factors were less likely to adhere to stomach cancer screening guidelines.

The research team concluded that addressing this screening disparity is vital.

They recommend increasing public awareness of lifestyle risk factors, providing counseling during screening, and targeting high-risk populations, particularly those with multiple risk factors, to promote cancer screening adherence and healthier behaviors.

The study, titled "Cluster of Lifestyle Risk Factors for Stomach Cancer and Screening Behaviors among Korean Adults," was recently published in Scientific Reports.