title: Knowledge and beliefs about cancer in a socioeconomically disadvantaged population.
abstract: Americans living in poverty experience a higher incidence of and greater mortality from cancer than the nonpoor. At least 50% of the difference in mortality is believed to be due to delay in diagnosis, although risk-promoting lifestyles and behaviors also contribute to decreased survival. A potential exacerbating factor among the poor is inadequate information and knowledge about cancer and its treatment. Interviews were conducted with 128 cancer patients from a socioeconomically disadvantaged population to assess knowledge of cancer and its treatment and to evaluate care-seeking behaviors. Results indicated that although patients relied primarily on their physicians for information about their disease and treatment, a number of misconceptions regarding cancer existed in this population. Notably, nearly 50% of the patients surveyed either denied or did not know that smoking was related to the development of cancer. Additionally, patients frequently reported inappropriate care-seeking behaviors when asked to respond to a series of common disease-related signs or symptoms. These findings suggest that misinformation and misconceptions regarding cancer and its treatment among patients in this sample may contribute to inappropriate care-seeking behaviors.
authors.affiliation: Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Loehrer
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Greger
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weinberger
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Musick
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nichols
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bryan
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Higgs
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brock
mesh_terms: D003258:Consumer Behavior; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors