Factors associated with active participation in a Cancer Prevention Clinic

To investigate factors that influence individuals at higher than average risk for cancer to seek preventive care, we studied 78 people by questionnaires designed to assess a variety of psychological, familial, and personal demographic variables. Twenty-six of these subjects (probands) had actively sought the services provided by a Cancer Prevention Clinic whereas the other subjects (nonprobands) did not initiate contact with the clinic. The results of a discriminant analysis indicate that prior involvement in cancer preventive activities, interest in cancer-specific information, and level of perceived susceptibility to cancer all contributed significantly to active participation in the Cancer Prevention Clinic. Level of psychological discomfort was found to be associated with cancer-specific variables, but did not contribute significantly to proband status. Involvement in preventive behaviors and perceived cancer susceptibility were most highly associated with familial factors, such as the proportion of first-degree relatives with cancer, whereas interest in cancer information was primarily related to perceived risk level.