Smokers' risk perception, socioeconomic status and source of information on cancer.
BACKGROUND
In many countries, the decline in smoking prevalence has coincided with a growing concentration of smoking among people with lower socioeconomic status (SES). This concentration may reflect the social differentiation of risk perceptions. We investigated the factors associated with risk perception and fear of cancer, paying particular attention to SES indicators and health information seeking.


METHODS
A cross-sectional telephone survey conducted in France in 2010 (including 826 current smokers aged 18-75) assessing how smokers perceive the risk of smoking-related cancer in terms of daily consumption and duration thresholds.


RESULTS
Among current smokers, 38% considered that smoking can cause cancer only for a daily consumption higher than their own consumption, and an additional 22% stated that tobacco-related cancer risk only becomes high for a longer smoking duration than their personal one. Predictors of such risk perceptions included low SES, material deprivation and mentioning either the internet or their relatives as one's main source of information on cancer. The same characteristics were also predictive of personal fear of tobacco-related cancer.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results illustrate the challenges faced by prevention campaigns in the internet society, as information found on the web may fuel smokers' risk denial. Anti-tobacco policies should tailor interventions to people with low SES, who may be especially impervious to standard prevention campaigns because of material deprivation, and they should also address and challenge smokers' risk denial beliefs.
INSERM, UMR912 "Economics and Social Sciences Applied to Health & Analysis of Medical Information" (SESSTIM), 13006 Marseille, France; Aix Marseille University, UMR_S912, IRD, 13006 Marseille, France; ORS PACA, Southeastern Health Regional Observatory, 13006 Marseille, France. Electronic address: patrick.peretti-watel@inserm.fr.
Patrick
P
Peretti-Watel
INSERM, UMR912 "Economics and Social Sciences Applied to Health & Analysis of Medical Information" (SESSTIM), 13006 Marseille, France; Aix Marseille University, UMR_S912, IRD, 13006 Marseille, France.
Valérie
V
Seror
INSERM, UMR912 "Economics and Social Sciences Applied to Health & Analysis of Medical Information" (SESSTIM), 13006 Marseille, France; Aix Marseille University, UMR_S912, IRD, 13006 Marseille, France; ORS PACA, Southeastern Health Regional Observatory, 13006 Marseille, France.
Pierre
P
Verger
Institut National de Prévention et d'Education pour la Santé (INPES), 93203 St Denis Cedex, France.
Romain
R
Guignard
Institut National des études Démographiques (Ined), Paris, France; Inserm, U669, Univ Paris-Sud and Univ Paris Descartes, UMR-S0669, Paris, France.
Stéphane
S
Legleye
Institut National de Prévention et d'Education pour la Santé (INPES), 93203 St Denis Cedex, France; Cermes3 - Equipe Cesames (Centre de recherche Médecine, Sciences, Santé, Santé mentale, Société, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité/CNRS UMR 8211/Inserm U988/EHESS), Paris Cedex 06, France.
François
F
Beck
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003717:Denial, Psychological; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D058015:Health Communication; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D057226:Information Seeking Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
Fear of cancer; France; Internet; Risk perception; Socio-economic status