Cancer Patients Circadian Rhythm Assessment Based on Morningness-Eveningness Preference

Abstract

Abstract Background The circadian rhythm regulates various physiological processes, including cell division and cancer development. This study aimed to investigate circadian rhythm patterns in cancer patients. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 150 cancer patients admitted to the internal ward of Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex in the fall of 2021 were evaluated. The demographic characteristics of patients were collected using a checklist. Patients also completed a morningness-eveningness questionnaire (MEQ). Utilizing Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Fisher’s exact test, circadian rhythm types with continuous and categorical variables were compared. Results The mean age of the study’s participants was 49.83 ± 14.53 years. A total of 82.7% (n = 124) had non-hematological cancers, and breast cancer was the most prevalent type of cancer among patients (23.3%). The MEQ score of the patients ranged from 41 to 74, with a mean score of 56.6 ± 6.34 and neither type was the most common type. conclusions According to the findings of this study, the circadian rhythm is distributed normally among the participants.