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Lay interpersonal sources for health information related to beliefs about the modifiability of cancer risk

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Abstract

Objective

Causal beliefs about cancer may influence preventive behaviors and medical care. We examined the relationship between beliefs about causation for lung, colon, and skin cancer and the use of lay interpersonal sources of health information (community organizations, family, friends).

Methods

Data from a nationally representative sample of 5,119 adult respondents to the 2005 Health Information National Trends Survey were analyzed.

Results

About 40% of respondents reported that community organizations provided them with health information, while 15% discussed health information “very frequently” with their family or friends. In multivariate models, individuals who never spoke with family or friends about health were more likely to believe that colon cancer risk is not modifiable; those provided with health information by community organizations were less likely to believe that skin cancer risk is not modifiable. Speaking with family or friends about health was also associated with endorsing the belief that skin cancer is caused by behavior or lifestyle.

Conclusion

These findings showed that lay interpersonal health information sources are associated with beliefs about the modifiability of colon and skin cancer risk. Future research is needed to investigate whether and how such information sources might influence decisions about engaging in preventive behaviors.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health. We thank Brad Hesse and Colleen McBride for their comments on an earlier draft of this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    Beth M. Ford

  2. Social and Behavioral Research Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, Building 31, Room B1B37E, 31 Center Drive, MSC 2073, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA

    Kimberly A. Kaphingst

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  1. Beth M. Ford
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  2. Kimberly A. Kaphingst
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Correspondence to Kimberly A. Kaphingst.

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Ford, B.M., Kaphingst, K.A. Lay interpersonal sources for health information related to beliefs about the modifiability of cancer risk. Cancer Causes Control 20, 1975–1983 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-009-9392-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-009-9392-1

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