Abstract
Background:Smoking cessation is the key cancer prevention behaviour for smokers; nonetheless, smokers can still benefit from earlier diagnosis of cancer. However, fewer smokers participate in screening despite their increased risk, which may reflect different beliefs about cancer.Methods:A UK population-representative sample of ⩾50 year-olds (n=6965) was surveyed using the Awareness and Beliefs about Cancer measure. These analyses examine six items on cancer beliefs (e.g., ‘cancer can often be cured'), and four on help-seeking barriers (e.g., ‘I would be too embarrassed').Results:Smokers were more likely to hold pessimistic cancer beliefs than never-smokers or former-smokers on four of six items. For example, 34% agreed ‘a cancer diagnosis is a death sentence', compared with 24% of non/former-smokers (P<0.001). More smokers (18%) than non/former-smokers (11%) would not want to know if they had cancer (P<0.01). The only barrier to symptomatic help-seeking differing by smoking status was ‘worry about what the doctor might find' (36% vs 28%, P<0.01). Associations were independent of demographics, self-rated health and cancer experience.Conclusions:Smokers held more pessimistic and avoidant beliefs about cancer, which could deter early-detection behaviour. A better understanding of these beliefs is needed to increase engagement in early diagnosis by this high-risk group.
Highlights
Smoking cessation is the key cancer prevention behaviour for smokers; smokers can still benefit from earlier diagnosis of cancer
Smoking is the key risk factor for lung cancer but has been linked to cancer risk at multiple sites, including the colon, rectum, and uterine cervix; and evidence is emerging for a role in breast cancer (Secretan et al, 2009)
The present analyses focus on the UK data concerning beliefs about cancer outcomes, early detection, and barriers to help-seeking
Summary
A UK population-representative sample of X50 year-olds (n 1⁄4 6965) was surveyed using the Awareness and Beliefs about Cancer measure. These analyses examine six items on cancer beliefs (e.g., ‘cancer can often be cured’), and four on helpseeking barriers (e.g., ‘I would be too embarrassed’). Random probability sampling methods were used to select households from electronic listings of ‘landline’ telephone numbers. If two or more adults from the same household were eligible for telephone interview (age X50 years), the ‘Rizzo’ method was used to randomly select one person to take part (Rizzo et al, 2004)
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