Objective

This study aimed to explore the dietary practices and factors affecting Malaysian breast cancer survivors' dietary behaviours.

Methods

We conducted an in-depth qualitative interview on 20 participants from a cohort study. An ecological framework was used to construct the semi-structured topic guide. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis with theoretical saturation was used in data analysis.

Results

The participants were found to have variable dietary practices that either followed or did not follow dietary recommendations. The social environment was critical as most women relied on family and friends for food choices; additionally, individuals in charge of food preparation had to prepare food based on their family member preferences. Furthermore, individuals had difficulty sustaining healthy dietary changes during the acute survivorship phase due to a lack of health consciousness and difficulty in healthy food access. Notably, there was a lack of dietary guidance from health care professionals, especially dietitians, in long-term survivorship care.

Conclusion

This study highlights the lack of breast cancer survivors' healthy diet and lifestyle knowledge. A holistic multidisciplinary approach involving individual, social, physical, and macro-level environmental elements are crucial to influencing healthy eating behaviours.