Do the general public get cancer statistics?-a questionnaire survey in Japan.
Jpn J Clin Oncol
; 54(5): 537-548, 2024 May 07.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38336473
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES:
The public does not always understand key information conveyed by epidemiologists and statisticians. The purpose of this study was to understand the level of public access to, trust in, and comprehension of, cancer statistics through a population-based survey in Japan.METHODS:
We used an online research method, requesting online responses to a 15-question questionnaire. The survey was sent to males and females aged 20 years and older, selected by sex, age and prefecture to match the national population proportions shown in the latest census. The final number of valid responses was 10 477. The statistical analyses mainly used χ2 testing.RESULTS:
Respondents were not frequently exposed to cancer statistics regardless of sex or age group, nor did they necessarily have confidence in the statistics. The increase of collected information and trust in cancer statistics was aligned with increasing age and cancer exposure. Respondents found Relative Risk and Relative Survival Rate easier to understand and more useful than the Standardized Incidence Ratio. In addition, those with cancer experience, higher income and were elderly gave more accurate responses when asked questions related to cancer incidence and probability of getting cancer.CONCLUSIONS:
Our respondents showed limited familiarity with cancer statistical indicators. Enhanced awareness of indicators such as infographics and visual tools has the potential to enhance cancer visibility, thereby promoting public prevention and early detection efforts. Educating cancer patients about pertinent indicators can boost their confidence in managing their condition. Conversely, the introduction of indicators unrelated to the public should be discouraged.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Neoplasias
Tipo de estudo:
Etiology_studies
/
Screening_studies
Limite:
Adult
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Aged
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Aged80
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Middle aged
País como assunto:
Asia
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article