title: Thinking Style as a Predictor of Men's Participation in Cancer Screening.
abstract: Men's participation in cancer screening may be influenced by their thinking style. Men's need for cognition (NFC) and faith in intuition were measured to explore whether they varied by demographic variables or predicted screening behavior. Australian males ( n = 585, aged 50-74 years) completed surveys about past screening and were subsequently offered mailed fecal occult blood tests (FOBTs). Demographic predictors included age, socioeconomic status, educational attainment, and language spoken at home. The screening behaviors were self-reported prostate cancer screening (prostate-specific antigen testing and digital rectal examinations [DREs]), and colorectal cancer screening (self-reported FOBT participation and recorded uptake of the FOBT offer). Analysis comprised principal component analysis and structural equation modelling. NFC was positively related to demographic variables education, socioeconomic status, and speaking English at home. Faith in intuition was negatively related to educational attainment. NFC predicted variance in self-reported DRE participation ( r = .11, p = .016). No other relationships with thinking style were statistically significant. The relationship of NFC to DRE participation may reflect the way certain attributes of this screening method are processed, or alternatively, it may reflect willingness to report participation. The relationship of thinking style to a range of healthy behaviors should be further explored.
authors.affiliation: 1 The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.|2 Freemasons Foundation Centre for Men's Health, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.|3 Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Clare E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: McGuiness
authors.affiliation: 1 The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.|2 Freemasons Foundation Centre for Men's Health, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Turnbull
authors.affiliation: 4 Cancer Council SA, Eastwood, South Australia, Australia.|5 Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Carlene
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: 1 The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Duncan
authors.affiliation: 3 Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.|5 Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Ingrid H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Flight
authors.affiliation: 3 Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zajac
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001315:Australia; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009780:Occult Blood; D057240:Patient Preference / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen
keywords: PSA testing; behavioral research; digital rectal exam; health promotion and disease prevention; social determinants of health