Examining Rural–Urban Differences in Fatalism and Information Overload: Data from 12 NCI-Designated Cancer Centers
Year: 2022
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Rural populations experience a disproportionate cancer burden relative to urban populations. One possibility is that rural populations are more likely to hold counterproductive cancer beliefs such as fatalism and information overload that undermine prevention and screening behaviors. METHODS: = 6,541). All participants were 18 and older (M = 56.97, SD = 16.55), predominately non-Hispanic White (81%), and female (57%). Participants completed three items measuring cancer fatalism ("It seems like everything causes cancer," "There's not much you can do to lower your chances of getting cancer," and "When I think about cancer, I automatically think about death") and one item measuring cancer information overload ("There are so many different recommendations about preventing cancer, it's hard to know which ones to follow"). RESULTS: Compared with urban residents, rural residents were more likely to believe that (i) everything causes cancer (OR = 1.29; 95% CI, 1.17-1.43); (ii) prevention is not possible (OR = 1.34; 95% CI, 1.19-1.51); and (iii) there are too many different recommendations about cancer prevention (OR = 1.26; 95% CI, 1.13-1.41), and cancer is always fatal (OR = 1.21; 95% CI, 1.11-1.33). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with their urban counterparts, rural populations exhibited higher levels of cancer fatalism and cancer information overload. IMPACT: Future interventions targeting rural populations should account for higher levels of fatalism and information overload.
Authors: Jakob D. Jensen, Jackilen Shannon, Ronaldo Iachan, Yangyang Deng, Sunny Jung Kim, Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, Babalola Faseru, Electra D. Paskett, Jinxiang Hu, Robin C. Vanderpool, DeAnn Lazovich, Jason A. Mendoza, Sanjay Shete, Linda B. Robertson, Rajesh Balkrishnan, Katherine J. Briant, Benjamin Haaland, David A. Haggstrom, Bernard F. Fuemmeler
Institutions: University of Utah, Huntsman Cancer Institute, Portland State University, Oregon Health & Science University, Virginia Commonwealth University, VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of Kansas Cancer Center, University of Kansas Medical Center, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, The Ohio State University, University of Kentucky, Markey Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Washington, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, UPMC Health System, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, University of Virginia Cancer Center, University of Virginia, Cancer Consortium, Indiana University Indianapolis, Indiana University School of Medicine
Language: English
Subfield: Oncology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Funders: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Indiana University, Ohio State University, University of Minnesota, University of Washington, University of Pittsburgh, University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, National Institutes of Health, Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh, Cancer Center, University of Kansas, National Cancer Institute, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
Awards: G1086801703, G1239083462, G1305388156, G1345980661, G1581679921, G1628476732, G1858189645, G2457495176, G2524726931, G2526390019, G2965914956, G3085519557, G3120329307, G36614667, G3672297575, G3750637173, University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center - Cancer Center Support Grant, G4000936535, G6717222331, G6758698093, G6966134840, G700021213, G7130034190, G7321284031, G741073515, G8114322801, G858682239, G862694305, G8732641629, G9000010196, G9000025480, G9000053679, G9000113678, Frontiers Clinical and Translational Science Institute at the University of Kansas, G9000153296, G9000186613, G9000212862, G9000248580, G9000266250, G9000268872, Cancer Center Support Grant, Cancer Center Support Grant, Massey Cancer Center - Cancer Center Support Grant, Cancer Center Support Grant, University of Virginia Cancer Center Support Grant, OHSU Knight Cancer Institute
OpenAlex ID: W4210398189