THE PUBLIC IMAGE OF CANCER ETIOLOGY

In: Public opinion quarterly: journal of the American Association for Public Opinion Research, Band 25, Heft 3, S. 411-413

Abstract

In one of 2 recent surveys about cancer in Lansing, Michigan an attempt was made to find out how well informed the average person is regarding the causes of cancer.' Through use of a modified area sampling plan, a random subsample of 310 persons, 18 yrs old & over, were asked a series of questions about the causes & prevention of cancer. The consistently most popular response concerning cause of cancer was one which ascribed cancer to chronic or neglected irritations or injury. This demonstrated the success of campaigns to make people conscious of certain cancer symptoms & the tendency for people not to distinguish between 'symptom' & `cause.' Another tendency in the responses was to blame cancer on habits about which something can be done (eg, smoking, overwork, dietary habits) & which are such that a cancer patient can be somewhat blamed for his fate. In contrast, other responses included heredity & specific environmental causes. The popular prescriptions for prevention of cancer were regular check-ups & physical examinations. Advice included curtailment of smoking & improving personal habits. Around half of the group mentioned smoking as a specific cause of lung cancer & as a habit which might increase one's chances of getting cancer. AA.