Differences in Cancer Information-Seeking Behavior, Preferences, and Awareness Between Cancer Survivors and Healthy Controls: A National, Population-Based Survey

Abstract

Background No research has examined how cancer diagnosis and treatment might alter information source preferences or opinions. Methods Data from 719 cancer survivors (CS group) and 2012 matched healthy controls (NCC group) regarding cancer-related information seeking behavior, preferences, and awareness from the population-based 2003 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) was examined. Results The CS group reported greater consumption of cancer-related information but the CS and NCC groups did not differ in information source use or preferences. The CS group was more confident of their ability to get cancer information, reported more trust in health care professionals and television as cancer information sources, but evaluated their recent cancer information seeking experiences more negatively than the NCC group. Awareness of cancer information resources was surprisingly low in both the CS and NCC groups. Conclusions Cancer diagnosis and treatment subtly alters cancer information seeking preferences and experience. However awareness and use of cancer information resources was relatively low regardless of personal history of cancer.

Physical and Mental Health Status and Health Behaviors of Survivors of Multiple Cancers: a National, Population-Based Study

“…Such relatively benign, non-melanoma skin cancers may not impact health status and health behaviors to the same degree as other invasive cancers. Though that may be, the inclusion of non-melanoma skin cancer survivors in our two survivor groups is a conservative approach that is consistent with other epidemiological studies of cancer (24, 43). …”

“…Third, reliance on self-reported cancer diagnosis, as is commonly done in population-based research (22, 23, 25, 26), carries with it some risk for misclassification of controls, survivors of a single cancer, and survivors of multiple cancers (40, 41). Previous research, though, has documented reasonable reliability and validity for self reports of cancer diagnosis (42, 43). Fourth, the BRFSS core survey provides very little data pertaining to cancer survivors’ diagnoses and absolutely no data about cancer treatment.…”

Correlates of Consumer Trust in Online Health Information: Findings From the Health Information National Trends Survey

“…Meanwhile, a number of studies also measured consumers' global trust in various sources of health information, such as doctors, television, newspapers and magazines, relatives and friends, and the Internet (Khoo, Bolt, Babl, Jury, & Goldman, 2008;Musa, Schulz, Harris, Silverman, & Thomas, 2009;Narhi, 2007). This practice appears to be acceptable: Several Health Information National Trends Survey studies that use such measures have been published (Hesse et al, 2005;Hong, 2008;Ling, Klein, & Dang, 2006;McQueen, Vernon, Meissner, Klabunde, & Rakowski, 2006;Rains, 2007;Roach et al, 2009;44 Y. Ye Rutten, Augustson, Doran, Moser, & Hesse, 2009), and some of them have been highly cited McQueen et al;Ramanadhan & Viswanath, 2006). In conclusion, this study expands current research on consumer trust in health information and finds that trust in online health information is correlated more with information features than with receiver characteristics, which is consistent with previous research (Zahedi & Song, 2008).…”

Early Nutrition and Physical Activity Interventions in Childhood Cancer Survivors

“…Facebook or Twitter) represent flexible and inexpensive alternatives to survivors and families. Nonetheless, cancer survivors ranked health care providers the most trustable source for seeking health information, 86,87 Oncology care providers need to play a larger role in promoting healthy lifestyles in cancer care. Remotely delivered programs, combined with individualized support provided by health care provides, may serve a cost-effective strategy for integrating lifestyle interventions into cancer care for childhood cancer survivors.…”