TY - JOUR
T1 - Public estimates of cancer frequency
T2 - Cancer incidence perceptions mirror distorted media depictions
AU - Jensen, Jakob D.
AU - Scherr, Courtney L.
AU - Brown, Natasha
AU - Jones, Christina
AU - Christy, Katheryn
AU - Hurley, Ryan J.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was partially supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Department of HHS/CDCP Grant #1H75TP000339-01). The authors confirm that there are no financial disclosures, conflicts of interest, or acknowledgments.
PY - 2014/5/1
Y1 - 2014/5/1
N2 - Compared with incidence rates, certain cancers are over- or underrepresented in news coverage. Past content analytic research has consistently documented these news distortions, but no study has examined whether they are related to public perception of cancer incidence. Adults (N = 400) completed a survey with questions about perceived cancer incidence, news consumption, and attention to health news. Cancer incidence perceptions paralleled previously documented news distortions. Overrepresented cancers were overestimated (e.g., blood, head/brain) and underrepresented cancers were underestimated (e.g., male reproductive, lymphatic, thyroid, and bladder). Self-reported news consumption was related to perceptual distortions such that heavier consumers were more likely to demonstrate distorted perceptions of four cancers (bladder, blood, breast, and kidney). Distortions in risk perception and news coverage also mirrored discrepancies in federal funding for cancer research. Health care professionals, journalists, and the public should be educated about these distortions to reduce or mitigate potential negative effects on health behavior and decision making.
AB - Compared with incidence rates, certain cancers are over- or underrepresented in news coverage. Past content analytic research has consistently documented these news distortions, but no study has examined whether they are related to public perception of cancer incidence. Adults (N = 400) completed a survey with questions about perceived cancer incidence, news consumption, and attention to health news. Cancer incidence perceptions paralleled previously documented news distortions. Overrepresented cancers were overestimated (e.g., blood, head/brain) and underrepresented cancers were underestimated (e.g., male reproductive, lymphatic, thyroid, and bladder). Self-reported news consumption was related to perceptual distortions such that heavier consumers were more likely to demonstrate distorted perceptions of four cancers (bladder, blood, breast, and kidney). Distortions in risk perception and news coverage also mirrored discrepancies in federal funding for cancer research. Health care professionals, journalists, and the public should be educated about these distortions to reduce or mitigate potential negative effects on health behavior and decision making.
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U2 - 10.1080/10810730.2013.837551
DO - 10.1080/10810730.2013.837551
M3 - Article
C2 - 24446814
AN - SCOPUS:84900473033
SN - 1081-0730
VL - 19
SP - 609
EP - 624
JO - Journal of Health Communication
JF - Journal of Health Communication
IS - 5
ER -
