title: Impact of perceived cancer risk on the cancer screening rate in the general Korean population: results from the Korean health panel survey data.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between the perception of cancer risk and likelihood of having undergone cancer screening.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used data from the Korean Health Panel Survey from December 2011 onward. Of 3,390 patients who visited a hospital during the previous year, we included data from 2,466 individuals; 924 samples were excluded due to missing data. Logistic regression analysis and the chi square test were used to investigate the association between perceived cancer risk and the likelihood of having undergone cancer screening.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For patients who perceived their risk of developing cancer during the next 10 years to be 30-40%, the odds ratio was increased 1.65 fold (95%CI: 1.223, 2.234) compared with those who perceived their risk to be almost zero. Although the difference was not statistically significant, perceiving cancer risk as either extremely low or extremely high appears to be associated with a reduced likelihood of having undergone cancer screening, resulting in an inverted U-shaped relationship.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Physicians and researchers should be aware of the importance of the affective component of risk perception. Policies addressing the influence of cancer risk perception should be implemented in South Korea and worldwide.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Graduate School, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea E-mail : kb53545@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jae-Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Eun-Cheol
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Ki-Bong
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Yoo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004522:Educational Status; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D010465:Perception; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012306:Risk; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires