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Cancer Risk Factor Knowledge Among Young Adults

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Abstract

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the USA. Incidence and mortality rates for cancer have risen steadily and cost the healthcare system over $264 billion annually. Cancer risk can be reduced by restricting alcohol consumption, avoiding tobacco, eating a balanced diet, limiting sun exposure, exercising, and seeking routine cancer screenings. The purpose of this study is to examine cancer risk factor knowledge among college students. Researchers surveyed undergraduate and graduate students (n = 758) at a mid-sized public university in the Southeast about their knowledge regarding cancer risk factors including smoking, alcohol consumption, diet, obesity, hypertension, and human papillomavirus (HPV). Participants were mostly able to identify the association between cancers and health risk behaviors that have received widespread media coverage, are somewhat intuitive, or are salient to their life stage such as drinking, tanning, and smoking. Nearly all participants correctly reported exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays, and smoking increased risk of developing skin and lung cancer, respectively. Most students correctly identified an increased risk of liver cancer associated with alcohol use but missed head/neck and breast cancer. However, knowledge of less publicized relationships was insufficient. The findings offer encouragement to public health professionals that campaigns have increased awareness of cancer risk. However, there were many relationships that revealed a lack of knowledge, and future campaigns can target lesser-known cancer risk relationships to reduce the personal tragedy and societal burden of cancer.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Brian Hogan, Jennifer Fletcher, Nicole Cranley, and Amanda Jeter for their assistance in preparing this study for submission.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health, University of North Florida, 1 UNF Drive, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA

    Julie Williams Merten, Adrienne Williams, Erin Largo-Wight & Morsal Osmani

  2. Center of Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic of Jacksonville, 4500 Pablo Professional Court, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA

    Alexander Parker

  3. Department of Behavioral Science and Community Health, University of Florida, PO Box 100175, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Jessica L. King

Authors
  1. Julie Williams Merten
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  2. Alexander Parker
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  3. Adrienne Williams
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  6. Morsal Osmani
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Julie Williams Merten.

Ethics declarations

All 6343 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in summer courses at the university received an email invitation to participate over a four-week period during the summer 2012 semester. The email invitation explained the study, risk, and benefits (no incentives were offered), and participants consented by clicking on the link included in the email.

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Merten, J.W., Parker, A., Williams, A. et al. Cancer Risk Factor Knowledge Among Young Adults. J Canc Educ 32, 865–870 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-016-1093-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-016-1093-3

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