Scientific Publications by FDA Staff

J Cancer Educ 2011 Dec;26(4):747-53

Illness representations of lung cancer, lung cancer worry, and perceptions of risk by smoking status.

Finney Rutten LJ, Blake KD, Hesse BW, Augustson EM, Evans S

We examined perceived risk, worry, and illness representations of lung cancer by smoking status using data from the 2005 Health Information National Trends Survey (n = 1,765). Perceived lung cancer risk was rated "very high" more frequently by current (15.2%) than former (1.9%) and never (1.6%) smokers. Current smokers more frequently reported worry about lung cancer (18.4%) than former (3.1%) and never smokers (1.8%). Confusion about lung cancer prevention was higher among current (55.2%) than former (41.3%) or never smokers (38.2%). Agreement that lung cancer is caused by a person's behavior was higher among never (86.1%) and former (82.6%) than current smokers (75.4%). In multivariable models, never (OR = .07) and former smokers (OR = .16) were less likely than current smokers to perceive their lung cancer risk as high. Never smokers (OR = .21) were significantly less likely than current smokers to report worrying about lung cancer, while former and current smokers did not differ.