Disparities in Perceptions of Lung Cancer among African American, Hispanic, and Caucasian Adults: Evidence from the Health Informational National Trend Survey

International Journal of Humanities and Social Science
© 2020 by SSRG - IJHSS Journal
Volume 7 Issue 2
Year of Publication : 2020
Authors : Edward V. Wallace Ph.D., MPH, Derrick Jenkins, Ph.D.
pdf
How to Cite?

Edward V. Wallace Ph.D., MPH, Derrick Jenkins, Ph.D., "Disparities in Perceptions of Lung Cancer among African American, Hispanic, and Caucasian Adults: Evidence from the Health Informational National Trend Survey," SSRG International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, vol. 7,  no. 2, pp. 80-85, 2020. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23942703/IJHSS-V7I2P114

Abstract:

Background: African Americans are more likely to die from lung cancer than any other ethnic group. Furthermore, many African Americans and Latinos have a lower perception of risk when it comes to being diagnosed for lung cancer.Given the disparities in lung cancer across income levels, race, age, and education, we examined the risk of lung cancer using the Health Informational National Trend Survey (HINTS) and compared them across demographic markers to determine the differences in perception that may contribute to disparities in lung cancer.
Methods:A cross-sectional study design was conducted using the 2015 HINTS National Cancer Institute survey. A total of 1,246 adults participated in the study. Hispanics (n = 161), Blacks (n = 119), and Whites (n = 966). We used multivariate logistic regression to calculate the odds ratio and to explore the associations between lung cancer and demographic variables including race, age, and education.
Results: When compared with whites, Blacks perceived themselves to be less likely of develop lung cancer in the future (p<.001), as well as worrying about lung cancer (p<.001). Lower level of education was correlated with lower perceived risk of developing lung cancer (P = .0063), and never or rarely worrying about lung cancer (p = .0101). In terms of age, adults (34 – 49 years) agreed that there is no risk of getting lung cancer if someone only smokes a few years (p = .0037).
Conclusion:Our analysis showed that the inaccurate perceptions of lung cancer were common among older, ethnic minorities with less education. These perceptions maybe a reflection of one’s cultural values, fake news, and socioeconomic status. These views may helpexplain the increase in lung cancer morbidity andmortality in minorities. This provides evidence that providing accurate health education that is culturally appropriate remains to be a critical step in reducing health disparities among minority populations.

Keywords:

Health Disparities, Perceptions, Lung Cancer, Adults, African Americans, Hispanics, Caucasians

References:

[1] Vernon Simpson. 1999. “Risk perception and risk communication for cancer screening behaviors: a review”. Journal of National Cancer Institute Monographs 25: 101-119.
[2] Katapodi, Lee, Nicole Facione, and Michael Dodd. 2004. “Predictors of perceived lung cancer risk and the relation between perceived risk and lung cancer screening: a meta-analytic review”. Prevention Medicine 38: 388-402.
[3] McQueen, Swank, Louis Bastian, and Vernon Simpson. 2008. Predictors of perceived of susceptibility of breast cancer and changes over time: a mixed modelling approach. Health Psychology 27: 68-77.
[4] American Cancer Society. (2007). “Cancer facts and figures”. Atlanta, GA Author
[5] Orom, Kiviniemi, Underwood, Lisa Ross, and Vincent Shavers. 20110. Perceived cancer risk: why is it lower among nonwhites than whites? Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers Prevention 19: 746-754.
[6] American Cancer Society.Cancer Facts & Figures 2017. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2017.
[7] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2002). Annual smoking-attributal mortality years of potential life lost, and economic cost Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 51(14), 300-303.
[8] Kerr-Cresswell, D.M., Fitzgerald, B., Fergus, K., Gould, J., Lenis, M., & Clemons, M. (2005). Why so late? Presentation delay in locally advanced breast cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 23(16S), 712
[9] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2006a).Tobacco use among adults. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 55(42), 1145-1148.
[10] Health Information National Trends Survey [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): U.S. National Institute of Health. Available at: http://hintscancer.gov. Accessed January 15, 2015.
[11] Wingo, Bolden, Tong, Parker, Leslie Martin and Carl Health. 1996. Cancer statistics for African Americans. Cancer Journal Clinical 46: 113-125.
[12] Byrd, Wilson, Samuel Hoyler, and Gary Peck. 2004. Advanced presentation of melanoma in African Americans. Journal of American Academy Dermatol.50: 21-24.
[13] Halder, and Karen Bang. 1988. Skin cancer in Blacks in the United States. Dermatol Clinical. 6: 397-405.
[14] Linos, Sweeter, Cockburn, Gary Colditz, and Cindy Clarke. 2009. Increasing burden of Cancer in the United States. Journal Investigative Dermatol.129: 1666-1674.
[15] Gellar, Miller, Lew, Clapp, Melissa Wenneker, and Hong Koh. 1996. Cutano melanoma mortality among the socioeconomically disadvantage in Massachusetts. American Journal of Public Health 86: 538-543.
[16] Reyes-Ortiz, John Goodwin, and Julia Freeman. 2006. Socioeconomic status and survival in older patients with cancer. Preventive Medicine 54: 1758-1764.
[17] Hung, W. W., Ross, J. S., Boockvar, K. S., &Siu, A. L. (2011). Recent trends chronic disease, impairment and disability among older adults in the United States.BMC Geriatrics, 11(1), 47. 11- 47.
[18] Lum, H., Studenski, S., Degenholtz, H., Hardy, S., Lum, H. D., Studenski, S. A., & Hardy, S. E. (2012). Early hospital readmission is a predictor of one-year mortality in community-dwelling older Medicare beneficiaries. JGIM: Journal Of General Internal Medicine, 27(11), 1467-1474.
[19] Stitzenberg, K., Shah, P., Snyder, J., & Scott, W. (2012). Disparities in access to video-assisted thoracic surgical lobectomy for treatment of early-stage lung cancer. Journal of Laparoendoscopic& Advanced Surgical Techniques, 22(8), 753-757.
[20] Morris and Alexis Sober. 1989. Malignant cancer in the older patient. Clinical Geriatric Medicine 5: 171-181.
[21] Eheman, C., Berkowitz, Z., Lee, J., Mohile, S., Purnell, J., Marie Rodriguez, E., & ... Morrow, G. (2009).Information-seeking styles among cancer patients before and after treatment by demographics and use of information sources.Journal Of Health Communication, 14(5), 487-502.doi:10.1080/10810730903032945
[22] Milne, R., Puts, M., Papadakos, J., Le, L., Milne, V., Hope, A., & ... Giuliani, M. E. (2015).Predictors of High eHealth Literacy in Primary Lung Cancer Survivors.Journal of Cancer Education, 30(4), 685-692.doi:10.1007/s13187-014-0744-5
[23] King, Gary. 2016. Tobacco use. Ed. Jessica Ramos, 316-344. New York: Gilford Publications.
[24] National Center for Health Statistics. National Health Interview Survey, 2000, 2013, and 2014.Public-use data file and documentation .http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis.htm