Bladder cancer and smoking. Part 3: influence of perceptions and beliefs

This is the third of a four-part series on bladder cancer and smoking. Part one examined the risks factors for bladder cancer, emphasizing that although there are many risk factors, smoking is the main predisposing factor for the disease. Part two presented an overview of bladder cancer, including diagnosis and management of the disease. Part three seeks to determine the extent to which people's concept of what constitutes good health is influenced by their perceptions and beliefs. It then looks at whether educational support, specifically health promotion and health education, are effective in increasing the individual's awareness of the dangers of smoking for their health, and consequently in changing existing behaviours or dissuading them from becoming future smokers.