Awareness of Cancer Risk: Variation in Measurement Approaches

Cancer is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Diet, nutrition, physical inactivity, and obesity have been identified as important contributors to the increasing cancer incidence worldwide. To effectively plan interventions to reduce cancer incidence and to influence the public's decisions regarding health behaviors, it is important for professionals to have an understanding of the ways in which people understand risk with regard to development of cancer. Selecting an appropriate method to evaluate awareness of cancer risk is an important consideration. Quantitative approaches such as surveys may be used to investigate awareness of risk, and recall of risk factors as well as recognition of such factors may form part of such assessments. Such quantitative methods may be used to evaluate risk in different demographic groups, as well as to examine the link between risk factors and behavior. Qualitative approaches include in-depth interviews, focus groups, and open-ended survey items and may be used to explain findings derived using quantitative methods. Mixed methods approaches may also be employed, involving use of a survey as well as interviews or focus groups to gather in-depth information. Assessment of awareness of cancer risk using an appropriate method has important implications for educators, as professionals must evaluate understanding of risk factors and tailor messages accordingly for educational programs. Ongoing evaluation of awareness is a key part of determining the effectiveness of education initiatives and identifying new and emerging issues.