Children's perceptions of cancer in comparison to other chronic illnesses

Research which deals with beliefs and feelings about cancer suggests that cancer is somewhat unique among chronic illnesses with respect to the intensity of negative feelings and stigma attached to this disease. The research results to date fit well in the context of the health belief model and indicate that cancer is extremely high in perceived severity, moderate in perceived susceptibility, and extremely low in perceived benefits of preventive and treatment programs. This paper reports the results of a study which used the semantic differential technique to determine a sample of seventh-grade students' perceptions of cancer in comparison to heart disease, diabetes, and mental illness. The results indicated that children generally view cancer as higher in severity (except for heart disease), higher in susceptibility, and lower in benefits of treatment than the other illnesses. Perceptions did not differ by sex, socio-economic background, or knowledge of cancer. However, in addition to perceiving cancer as being very high in severity and feeling pessimistic about the chances of recovering, black children believe they are personally more susceptible than do white children. In general, this combination of perceptions provides a unique stigma to cancer as a fearsome chronic disease with little hope of cure. The low perceived benefits of treatment presents a barrier to action which has important implications for health education programs.