How are multifactorial beliefs about the role of genetics and behavior in cancer causation associated with cancer risk cognitions and emotions in the US population?

Objective People who believe that cancer has both genetic and behavioral risk factors have more accurate mental models of cancer causation and may be more likely to engage in cancer screening behaviors than people who do not hold such multifactorial causal beliefs. This research explored possible he...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psycho-oncology (Chichester, England) England), 2018-02, Vol.27 (2), p.640-647
Main Authors: Hamilton, Jada G., Waters, Erika A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Beliefs
Cancer
cancer cognitions, worry
Causality
Cognition & reasoning
Consumer goods
Disease prevention
Emotions
Family medical history
Genetics
Health behavior
Health information
Medical screening
Mental models
multifactorial beliefs
Negative emotions
oncology
Perceptions
Pessimism
Polls & surveys
Prevention programs
Risk behavior
Risk factors
Risk perception
Toxins
Worry
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Summary:Objective People who believe that cancer has both genetic and behavioral risk factors have more accurate mental models of cancer causation and may be more likely to engage in cancer screening behaviors than people who do not hold such multifactorial causal beliefs. This research explored possible health cognitions and emotions that might produce such differences. Methods Using nationally representative cross‐sectional data from the US Health Information National Trends Survey (N = 2719), we examined whether endorsing a multifactorial model of cancer causation was associated with perceptions of risk and other cancer‐related cognitions and affect. Data were analyzed using linear regression with jackknife variance estimation and procedures to account for the complex survey design and weightings. Results Bivariate and multivariable analyses indicated that people who endorsed multifactorial beliefs about cancer had higher absolute risk perceptions, lower pessimism about cancer prevention, and higher worry about harm from environmental toxins that could be ingested or that emanate from consumer products (Ps  .05). Conclusion Holding multifactorial causal beliefs about cancer are associated with a constellation of risk perceptions, health cognitions, and affect that may motivate cancer prevention and detection behavior.
ISSN:1057-9249
1099-1611
DOI:10.1002/pon.4563