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A questionnaire to measure knowledge of and education about tumor diseases in Sweden
1Söderköping Primary Health Care Centre, Sweden.
Background:
The increasing incidence of cancers in Sweden can only partly be explained by the increase in length of life. The general public is largely unaware of recent progress in scientific understanding of how a normal cell can be transformed into a cancer cell.
Methods:
The authors constructed a questionnaire to assess public knowledge of cancer prevalence, causation, and pathogenesis, as well as attitudes towards risk factors and possibilities of prevention. It also included demographic and life-style factors.
Results:
Reported here is the theoretical background for the questionnaire, which is published in its entirety. The questionnaire was distributed in 1993 to a random sample of 10% of the adults in two townships in southern Sweden (n = 1,005 and 972, respectively). The response rate was 70% within two weeks, and after a reminder, 78%.
Conclusions:
This response indicates a high level of public interest in cancer knowledge and constitutes a good basis for further education activities.