@misc{10481/98327,
year = {2024},
month = {12},
url = {https://hdl.handle.net/10481/98327},
abstract = {Objective: People's beliefs about cancer can affect the actions they take to prevent and detect the disease. We investigated socioeconomic
inequalities in beliefs about cancer and its causes in the general population.
Methods: We analyzed data from the representative probabilistic Spanish Oncobarometer survey (N = 4769, 2020) and the nonprobabilistic
weight‐corrected Spanish Cancer Awareness Survey (N = 1029, 2022). Beliefs about cancer, recognition of cancer
symptoms, and recognition of risk factors were measured with the Awareness and Beliefs about Cancer questionnaire.
Endorsement of mythical causes was measured with the CAM‐Mythical Causes questionnaire. The effects of socio‐economic
status (SES) were investigated in multiple regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, and personal and family cancer history.
Results: Individuals with lower SES were more likely to endorse pessimistic beliefs (e.g., “cancer is a death sentence”), and less
likely to endorse optimistic beliefs about cancer (e.g., “people with cancer continue with normal activities”). Individuals with
lower SES also recognized fewer cancer symptoms and risk factors and endorsed more mythical causes of cancer. The gap in
knowledge regarding cancer causes was wider among people with low SES, who were more likely to endorse several mythical
causes than some established risk factors included in cancer prevention recommendations.
Conclusions: Socio‐economic inequalities in beliefs about cancer are robust and multidimensional and indicate worse preparedness
to act against the disease among lower socio‐economic groups. Differences in beliefs about disease outcomes and causes are likely one of the multiple contributors to cancer disparities and should be targeted and monitored in prevention
efforts.},
organization = {Spanish Association against Cancer (High‐Resolution Study of Social
Inequalities in Cancer (HiReSIC), PROYE20023SÁNC)},
organization = {Cancer Epidemiological Surveillance Subprogram of the CIBER of Epidemiology and Public
Health and the Health Institute Carlos III (VICA)},
organization = {CIBERESP CB06/02/0073, 2021SGR01354 and PI18/01593 EU/FEDER},
organization = {Ministry of Science and
Innovation (PDC2022‐133293‐100, CEX2020‐001105‐M/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 Spain)},
organization = {Strategic Action in Health (DTS23/00032, Spain)},
organization = {Mexican Government through the CONAHCYT scholarship program “Becas de Posgrado para Maestrías y Doctorados en Ciencias
y Humanidades en el extranjero 2024”},
organization = {Miguel Servet Fellowship (CP23/00024) from the Health Institute Carlos III},
organization = {Universidad de Granada /CBUA},
publisher = {Wiley Online Library},
keywords = {beliefs},
keywords = {cancer},
keywords = {cancer awareness},
title = {Socio‐Economic Inequalities in Beliefs About Cancer and its Causes: Evidence From two Population Surveys},
doi = {10.1002/pon.70035},
author = {Galicia Pacheco, Sergio Iván and Catena Martínez, Andrés and Sánchez, María José and Rueda Cuerva, María Del Rosario and Aljarilla Sánchez, Lucas and Costas, Laura and Garrido del Águila, Dunia and García Retamero Imedio, María Del Rocío and Espina, Carolina and Rodríguez-Barranco, Miguel and Petrova, Dafina},
}