Sarma, EA;
Quaife, SL;
Rendle, KA;
Kobrin, SC;
(2021)
Negative cancer beliefs: Socioeconomic differences from the awareness and beliefs about cancer survey.
Psycho-Oncology
, 30
(4)
pp. 471-477.
10.1002/pon.5573.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Socioeconomic gaps in cancer mortality may be driven partially by poorer uptake of early detection behaviors among lower socioeconomic status (SES) groups. Lower SES groups may hold both fewer positive and more negative cancer beliefs that discourage these behaviors. We examined SES differences in positive and negative cancer beliefs in US adults. METHODS: We conducted telephone interviews with a population-representative sample, aged 50+, using the Awareness and Beliefs about Cancer (ABC) instrument (N=1,425). Cancer beliefs were measured using three positively and three negatively framed items. We used multivariable logistic regression models to examine associations between beliefs and education, which served as a marker of individual-level SES. RESULTS: Agreement with positive statements was high (>80%) and did not vary with education, while agreement with negative statements varied. Relative to adults with a bachelor's degree, adults with a high school degree or less were more likely to agree that "treatment is worse than cancer" (45.2% vs. 68.2%; adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=2.43, 99% confidence interval (CI)=1.50-3.94), cancer is "a death sentence" (17.4% vs. 33.2%; aOR=2.51, 99% CI=1.45-4.37), and they "would not want to know if I have cancer" (15.7% vs. 31.6%; aOR=2.88, 99% CI=1.54-5.36). CONCLUSIONS: Positive cancer statements were generally endorsed, but negative statements were more frequently endorsed by lower SES groups. Additional work is needed to understand how negative beliefs develop and coexist alongside positive beliefs. Interventions to improve detection behaviors targeting lower SES groups may benefit from focusing on reducing negative beliefs, rather than increasing positive beliefs. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Negative cancer beliefs: Socioeconomic differences from the awareness and beliefs about cancer survey |
| Location: | England |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1002/pon.5573 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.5573 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| Keywords: | Attitude, Belief, Cancer, Education, Oncology, Psycho-Oncology, Social Class |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health > Behavioural Science and Health |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10113064 |
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