Purpose: Engaging in positive health behaviours can improve quality of life amongst cancer survivors, whether this facilitates return to work is unknown. We examined associations of health behaviours with return to work outcomes following a diagnosis of colorectal cancer in middle-aged men and women (45–64 years).

Methods: We recruited 239 participants through the Queensland Cancer Registry between January 2010 and September 2011. Data were collected through telephone-administered interviews and postal questionnaires at 6 and 12 months post-diagnosis. Logistic regression examined likelihood of ceasing or reducing work, and Cox regression examined factors associated with time to return to work.

Results: No significant associations were observed between health behaviours (fruit and vegetables consumption, alcohol consumption, smoking status, physical activity or sitting time) at 6 months and ceasing or reducing work at 12 months post-diagnosis. Participants who reported excessive sleep (≥9 h/day) were 2.69 times more likely to reduce work time or retire (relative to those sleeping the recommended 7 to <9 h/day; 95 % CI 1.06, 6.87, adjusted for cancer treatment). In Cox regression analysis, excessive sleep was associated with a longer work re-entry time (relative to sleeping 7 to <9 h/day; HR = 0.47; 95 % CI 0.22, 1.00, adjusted for education and cancer treatment).

Conclusions: Further research into how excessive sleep might be related to return to work amongst colorectal cancer survivors is warranted. Interventions focused on achieving optimal sleep patterns may assist colorectal cancer survivors to return to work and should be tested in future studies.