Stem cell research: the role of information seeking and scanning.

BACKGROUND: The mass media have held an ongoing debate about stem cell research. However, few studies have investigated how individuals obtain information on stem cell research and whether this affects their knowledge and perspectives on stem cell research. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate whether (i) cancer-diagnosed and non-diagnosed individuals differ in terms of their acquisition of stem cell research information, (ii) whether this information acquisition is associated with stem cell research knowledge and perspectives and (iii) whether having had a cancer diagnosis moderates these associations. METHOD: A standardised, cross-sectional survey was conducted among a convenience sample of 621 cancer-diagnosed and 1387 non-diagnosed individuals in Flanders (Belgium). RESULTS: The results indicate that stem cell research information acquisition explains a significant part of the variance of stem cell research knowledge (8.9%) and of the societal benefits of stem cell research (6.7%) and of embryonic stem cell research evaluation (3.9%) and morality (2%). These associations did not differ between cancer-diagnosed and non-diagnosed individuals but cancer-diagnosed individuals did seek more stem cell research information. CONCLUSION: Acquiring stem cell research information, both intentionally and unintentionally, is positively related to stem cell research knowledge and perspectives. Future research should further identify ways to promote health information acquisition behaviour because it is associated with better knowledge and more positive opinion formation.

Fear of cancer is associated with cancer information seeking, scanning and avoiding: a cross-sectional study among cancer diagnosed and non-diagnosed individuals.

BACKGROUND: Nowadays, there is an abundance of health and cancer information in the mass media. Because of this high amount of information, it is possible for individuals to find or incidentally encounter cancer information, but it is also possible to be overloaded by this information and, consequently, to avoid it. Previous studies have indicated that fear of cancer could be both positively and negatively related to behaviours such as screening, help-seeking and information avoidance. OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were (1) to assess the relationship between fear of cancer and cancer information acquisition and avoiding behaviour, (2) to examine whether this relationship was curvilinear, and (3) to determine whether this relationship was moderated by being diagnosed with cancer or not. METHOD: Six hundred and twenty-one cancer diagnosed and 1387 non-diagnosed individuals were recruited through a convenience sample in Flanders (Belgium) and filled in a standardised survey questionnaire. RESULTS: The results showed a positive linear association between fear of cancer and information seeking, scanning and avoiding. Being diagnosed with cancer or not did not moderate this relationship. CONCLUSION: Fear of cancer is positively associated with cancer information acquisition and avoiding behaviour. This suggests that fear of cancer predicts different behaviours in different individuals.

Media use, cancer knowledge and lifestyle choices: a cross-sectional analysis.

BACKGROUND: Both media use and cancer knowledge have been identified as important predictors of a healthy lifestyle. However, little is known about the interplay between these two variables, and about differences between cancer diagnosed and non-diagnosed consumers of media and knowledge. This study investigated the relationship between media use (television and internet exposure) and lifestyle choices of cancer diagnosed and non-diagnosed individuals, and looked at the influence of cancer knowledge on this relationship. METHODS: A cross-sectional, quantitative survey (the Leuven Cancer Information Survey) was administered to 621 cancer diagnosed and 1387 non-diagnosed individuals, aged 16-88 years old in Flanders (Belgium). Bivariate analyses, hierarchical linear regression analyses and advanced moderation and mediation analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Internet exposure was not a predictor of lifestyle choices. Television exposure, however, was a negative predictor of healthy lifestyle choices. Moreover, television exposure was a direct negative predictor of cancer knowledge, which in turn positively predicted lifestyle choices. However, no differences were found in the investigated relationships between the two subsamples. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that higher levels of television exposure coincide with less cancer knowledge and with less healthy lifestyle choices. It offers a pathway for intervention by suggesting that improving cancer knowledge through television might positively affect lifestyle choices.

Predictors of cancer fear: the association between mass media and fear of cancer among cancer diagnosed and nondiagnosed individuals.

Few studies have explored the impact of mass media on fear of cancer levels. This study investigates whether television and Internet use are associated with fear of cancer, and whether this association is different for cancer diagnosed and nondiagnosed individuals. A quantitative, standardized survey was used and administered to 2008 respondents in Flanders (Belgium), of which 621 individuals were diagnosed with cancer. For statistical analyses, hierarchical regression analyses, independent samples T-tests and post hoc mediation analyses were conducted. The results indicated that cancer diagnosed individuals differed from nondiagnosed individuals in terms of perceived cancer susceptibility, perceived cancer severity, fear of cancer, and media use. Furthermore, television exposure was directly and positively related to fear of cancer, whereas Internet use was not. The relationship between television and Internet use and fear of cancer was not different for cancer diagnosed and nondiagnosed individuals. Additional post hoc mediation analyses, however, seemed to suggest that watching more television and surfing more on the Internet could both lead to having a more negative perceived health and this was in turn associated with higher fear of cancer. To help reduce the burden of fear of cancer, cancer educators and individuals working with cancer patients need to be aware of the possible negative effects media use might have on health perception and on the levels of fear of cancer.

Television news coverage about cervical cancer: impact on female viewers' vulnerability perceptions and fear.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between exposure to television news messages about cervical cancer and women's vulnerability perceptions and fear. METHODS: Five-hundred women aged 18-85 years were randomly recruited to participate in a survey-interview. A standardized questionnaire assessed risk perception, fear of cervical cancer, exposure to cervical cancer messages in television news and a number of potential confounders such as demographics and trait anxiety. RESULTS: Results from multinomial regression analyses showed that women who had been occasionally exposed to cervical cancer messages were two times more likely to be very afraid of getting cervical cancer. Women who had been frequently exposed were three times more likely to be very afraid and three times more likely to be extremely afraid. Women who had been regularly exposure to cervical cancer messages were also three times more likely to perceive a moderate risk and seven times more likely to perceive a large risk of being diagnosed with cervical cancer. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that television news may be an effective means for health education.

Testing the effectiveness of a skin cancer narrative in promoting positive health behavior: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this experiment was to examine the differential impact of a narrative and a non-narrative skin cancer message on health promoting actions and information-seeking behaviors. METHODS: Participants were 230 Flemish university students aged 18 to 25 years who participated in a web based experiment in February 2009. Students were randomly assigned to a narrative skin cancer message, a non-narrative message or a no-message control condition. The messages contained identical information about recommended actions to prevent or detect skin cancer. Four weeks after exposure to the stimuli, respondents received a questionnaire assessing their actual health behaviors. RESULTS: Multinomial logistic regression results indicated that participants who had been exposed to the narrative message were two to four times more likely to have engaged in health promoting actions, compared to participants in the control group. In contrast, the impact of the non-narrative condition only differed from that of the control group for searching more information about skin cancer. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that narrative messages may be a powerful means for promoting positive health actions.

Exposure to semi-explicit sexual television content is related to adolescents' reduced fear of AIDS.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between adolescents' frequency of watching semi-explicit sexual television content and their fear of getting AIDS. METHODS: A longitudinal cohort study was conducted to test whether fourth grade students (N = 733) who regularly watched sexually semi-explicit content at baseline were less likely to be afraid of getting AIDS one year later at follow-up. RESULTS: Regression analyses indicated that adolescents who were frequently exposed to semi-explicit sexual TV content at baseline were less likely to be fearful about getting AIDS one year later. CONCLUSION: Watching semi-explicit television is related to reduced fear of getting AIDS.

Television news exposure is related to fear of breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the relationship between exposure to breast cancer content in television news programs and fear of breast cancer. METHODS: A quantitative standardized Health and Media Interview Survey was administered to a random sample of 500 Flemish women aged 18-85 years in 2007. The survey contained closed measures on demographics, breast cancer fear, television exposure and potential confounding variables such as trait anxiety, perceived risk and experience with breast cancer. RESULTS: 80.6% of the women were moderately to very afraid of being diagnosed with breast cancer. Multinomial logistic regression results showed that women who had occasionally been exposed to breast cancer content in television news were 1.9 times more likely to be very afraid of breast cancer (95% CI 1.1-3.4). Women who had frequently been exposed were 3.3 times more likely to be moderately afraid (95% CI 1.1-10), and 7.5 times more likely to be very afraid of breast cancer (95% CI 2.4-23.8). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest a relationship between exposure to breast cancer coverage in television news programs and fear of breast cancer.