Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Publication Date

2-1-2022

Journal

Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Rural populations experience a disproportionate cancer burden relative to urban populations. One possibility is that rural populations are more likely to hold counterproductive cancer beliefs such as fatalism and information overload that undermine prevention and screening behaviors.

METHODS: Between 2016 and 2020, 12 U.S. cancer centers surveyed adults in their service areas using online and in-person survey instruments. Participants (

RESULTS: Compared with urban residents, rural residents were more likely to believe that (i) everything causes cancer (OR = 1.29; 95% CI, 1.17-1.43); (ii) prevention is not possible (OR = 1.34; 95% CI, 1.19-1.51); and (iii) there are too many different recommendations about cancer prevention (OR = 1.26; 95% CI, 1.13-1.41), and cancer is always fatal (OR = 1.21; 95% CI, 1.11-1.33).

CONCLUSIONS: Compared with their urban counterparts, rural populations exhibited higher levels of cancer fatalism and cancer information overload.

IMPACT: Future interventions targeting rural populations should account for higher levels of fatalism and information overload.

Keywords

Adult, Aged, Cancer Care Facilities, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Humans, Information Seeking Behavior, Male, Middle Aged, Neoplasms, Rural Population, Surveys and Questionnaires, United States, Urban Population, cancer, overload, fatalism, rural, urban

Comments

PMID: 35091459

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