Cancer Information Seekers’ Comprehension Level and the Association With Preventable Cancer Risk Factors: A Cross-Sectional Analysis From a Nationally Representative U.S. Adult Survey

Abstract

Purpose

To examine the association between U.S. adult cancer information seekers’ comprehension level and preventable cancer risk factors.

Design

Cross-sectional analysis.

Setting

Health Information National Trends Survey-6, 2022.

Subjects

2,453 cancer information seekers.

Measures

Four cancer risk factors were dichotomized: cigarette smoking (have smoked ≥100 cigarettes and currently smoke every day/some days); experiencing sunburn (≥1 times/past 12 months); being overweight/obese (≥25 body mass index [kg/m²]); and binge drinking (≥5 [male] or ≥4 [female] alcoholic drinks on one occasion/past 30 days). Individuals who reported that cancer information was hard to understand were considered having comprehension difficulties.

Analysis

Binomial and multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the association of cancer information comprehension level with individual and cumulative cancer risk factors, adjusting for sex, race/ethnicity, age, annual household income, education level, metropolitan status, depressed mood, and cancer diagnosis history.

Results

Cancer information seekers with comprehension difficulties had higher odds of binge drinking (aOR: 1.66, 95% CI: 1.12, 2.46), being overweight/obese (aOR: 1.46, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.96), and experiencing sunburn (aOR: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.23, 2.11), as well as having ≥3 (aOR: 3.38, 95% CI: 1.87, 6.09) cancer risk factors concurrently than cancer information seekers without comprehension difficulties.

Conclusion

Dissemination of easy-to-understand cancer information would help better prevent cancer risk factors for cancer information seekers with comprehension difficulties.