Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29705530›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of cancer (Oxford, England : 1990)2018

Prevalence of beliefs about actual and mythical causes of cancer and their association with socio-demographic and health-related characteristics: Findings from a cross-sectional survey in England.

Lion Shahab, Jennifer A McGowan, Jo Waller, Samuel G Smith

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of cancer (Oxford, England : 1990), 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 55 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
55citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

55 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Lion ShahabDepartment of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK. Electronic address: lion.shahab@ucl.ac.uk.
Jennifer A McGowanDepartment of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK; Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
Jo WallerDepartment of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
Samuel G SmithDepartment of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK; Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9NL, UK.

Funding

Cancer Research UK 14134Cancer Research UK 20811Cancer Research UK C42785/A17965Cancer Research UK C42785/A20811Cancer Research UK C7492/A17219
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLiterature on population awareness about actual causes of cancer is growing but comparatively little is known about the prevalence of people's belief concerning mythical causes of cancer. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of these beliefs and their association with socio-demographic characteristics and health behaviours.

methodsA survey containing validated measures of beliefs about actual and mythical cancer causes and health behaviours (smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, overweight) was administered to a representative English population sample (N = 1330).

resultsAwareness of actual causes of cancer (52% accurately identified; 95% confidence interval [CI] 51-54) was greater than awareness of mythical cancer causes (36% accurately identified; 95% CI 34-37; P < 0.01). The most commonly endorsed mythical cancer causes were exposure to stress (43%; 95% CI 40-45), food additives (42%; 95% CI 39-44) and non-ionizing electromagnetic frequencies (35%; 95% CI 33-38). In adjusted analysis, greater awareness of actual and mythical cancer causes was independently associated with younger age, higher social grade, being white and having post-16 qualifications. Awareness of actual but not mythical cancer causes was associated with not smoking and eating sufficient fruit and vegetables.

conclusionsAwareness of actual and mythical cancer causes is poor in the general population. Only knowledge of established risk factors is associated with adherence to behavioural recommendations for reducing cancer risk.

Indexed as

AdultCross-Sectional StudiesDemographyEnglandFemaleHealth SurveysHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeoplasmsPrevalenceRisk FactorsCancerCancer awarenessCancer beliefsCancer mythsGeneral population

Identifiers

PMID29705530
PMCPMC6202672

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.