Adolescents' awareness of cancer risk factors and associations with health-related behaviours

Richard G. Kyle; Avril Nicoll; Liz Forbat; Gill Hubbard

doi:10.1093/her/cyt055

Adolescents' awareness of cancer risk factors and associations with health-related behaviours

Richard G. Kyle^* (Corresponding Author), Avril Nicoll, Liz Forbat, Gill Hubbard

^*Corresponding author for this work

Health Services Research Unit (HSRU)

University of Stirling

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

39 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Increasing adolescents’ awareness of the contribution of modifiable lifestyle factors to cancer risk may influence life-long patterns of healthy behaviour. However, little is known about adolescents’ awareness of cancer risk factors and the effectiveness of awareness-raising interventions. This study assessed adolescents’ cancer awareness and the effectiveness of an existing cancer-specific school-based intervention delivered by Teenage Cancer Trust. The Cancer Awareness Measure was completed by 478 adolescents (male: 250, 52.3%) aged 11–17 years (mean: 13.8, standard deviation: 1.24) in four UK schools; 422 adolescents provided paired data 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after the intervention delivered in 3 schools, and twice 4 weeks apart in the fourth (control) school. Adolescents recognized on average 4.4 (of 11) cancer risk factors. With the exception of smoking, adolescents’ awareness of cancer risk factors was low. Awareness significantly increased after the intervention (4.6–5.7, P < 0.001). There was no significant change in the control school. Intervention effect was greater among females. This educational intervention is an effective way to raise adolescents’ awareness of cancer risk factors. However, further cross-sectional and experimental studies are required to definitively assess adolescents’ awareness of cancer risk factors and the effectiveness of this educational intervention.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	816-827
Number of pages	12
Journal	Health Education Research
Volume	28
Issue number	5
Early online date	6 May 2013
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cyt055
Publication status	Published - Oct 2013

Bibliographical note

Acknowledgements
We are grateful to the adolescents who completed the questionnaires, and parents and teachers for their support for the research. We also thank Petra Rauchhaus (University of Dundee) for her statistical review of the manuscript. Data collected for the purposes of this study are available through the UK Data Archive in accordance with the conditions of use of the CAM.

Funding
This independent study was funded by Teenage Cancer Trust which played no part in data collection, analysis or interpretation, or drafting and revising the manuscript.

Keywords

smoking
cancer
adolescent
cancer risk

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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Cite this

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title = "Adolescents' awareness of cancer risk factors and associations with health-related behaviours",

abstract = "Increasing adolescents{\textquoteright} awareness of the contribution of modifiable lifestyle factors to cancer risk may influence life-long patterns of healthy behaviour. However, little is known about adolescents{\textquoteright} awareness of cancer risk factors and the effectiveness of awareness-raising interventions. This study assessed adolescents{\textquoteright} cancer awareness and the effectiveness of an existing cancer-specific school-based intervention delivered by Teenage Cancer Trust. The Cancer Awareness Measure was completed by 478 adolescents (male: 250, 52.3%) aged 11–17 years (mean: 13.8, standard deviation: 1.24) in four UK schools; 422 adolescents provided paired data 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after the intervention delivered in 3 schools, and twice 4 weeks apart in the fourth (control) school. Adolescents recognized on average 4.4 (of 11) cancer risk factors. With the exception of smoking, adolescents{\textquoteright} awareness of cancer risk factors was low. Awareness significantly increased after the intervention (4.6–5.7, P < 0.001). There was no significant change in the control school. Intervention effect was greater among females. This educational intervention is an effective way to raise adolescents{\textquoteright} awareness of cancer risk factors. However, further cross-sectional and experimental studies are required to definitively assess adolescents{\textquoteright} awareness of cancer risk factors and the effectiveness of this educational intervention.",

keywords = "smoking, cancer, adolescent, cancer risk",

author = "Kyle, {Richard G.} and Avril Nicoll and Liz Forbat and Gill Hubbard",

note = "Acknowledgements We are grateful to the adolescents who completed the questionnaires, and parents and teachers for their support for the research. We also thank Petra Rauchhaus (University of Dundee) for her statistical review of the manuscript. Data collected for the purposes of this study are available through the UK Data Archive in accordance with the conditions of use of the CAM. Funding This independent study was funded by Teenage Cancer Trust which played no part in data collection, analysis or interpretation, or drafting and revising the manuscript.",

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N1 - Acknowledgements We are grateful to the adolescents who completed the questionnaires, and parents and teachers for their support for the research. We also thank Petra Rauchhaus (University of Dundee) for her statistical review of the manuscript. Data collected for the purposes of this study are available through the UK Data Archive in accordance with the conditions of use of the CAM. Funding This independent study was funded by Teenage Cancer Trust which played no part in data collection, analysis or interpretation, or drafting and revising the manuscript.

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N2 - Increasing adolescents’ awareness of the contribution of modifiable lifestyle factors to cancer risk may influence life-long patterns of healthy behaviour. However, little is known about adolescents’ awareness of cancer risk factors and the effectiveness of awareness-raising interventions. This study assessed adolescents’ cancer awareness and the effectiveness of an existing cancer-specific school-based intervention delivered by Teenage Cancer Trust. The Cancer Awareness Measure was completed by 478 adolescents (male: 250, 52.3%) aged 11–17 years (mean: 13.8, standard deviation: 1.24) in four UK schools; 422 adolescents provided paired data 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after the intervention delivered in 3 schools, and twice 4 weeks apart in the fourth (control) school. Adolescents recognized on average 4.4 (of 11) cancer risk factors. With the exception of smoking, adolescents’ awareness of cancer risk factors was low. Awareness significantly increased after the intervention (4.6–5.7, P < 0.001). There was no significant change in the control school. Intervention effect was greater among females. This educational intervention is an effective way to raise adolescents’ awareness of cancer risk factors. However, further cross-sectional and experimental studies are required to definitively assess adolescents’ awareness of cancer risk factors and the effectiveness of this educational intervention.

AB - Increasing adolescents’ awareness of the contribution of modifiable lifestyle factors to cancer risk may influence life-long patterns of healthy behaviour. However, little is known about adolescents’ awareness of cancer risk factors and the effectiveness of awareness-raising interventions. This study assessed adolescents’ cancer awareness and the effectiveness of an existing cancer-specific school-based intervention delivered by Teenage Cancer Trust. The Cancer Awareness Measure was completed by 478 adolescents (male: 250, 52.3%) aged 11–17 years (mean: 13.8, standard deviation: 1.24) in four UK schools; 422 adolescents provided paired data 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after the intervention delivered in 3 schools, and twice 4 weeks apart in the fourth (control) school. Adolescents recognized on average 4.4 (of 11) cancer risk factors. With the exception of smoking, adolescents’ awareness of cancer risk factors was low. Awareness significantly increased after the intervention (4.6–5.7, P < 0.001). There was no significant change in the control school. Intervention effect was greater among females. This educational intervention is an effective way to raise adolescents’ awareness of cancer risk factors. However, further cross-sectional and experimental studies are required to definitively assess adolescents’ awareness of cancer risk factors and the effectiveness of this educational intervention.

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JO - Health Education Research

JF - Health Education Research

IS - 5

ER -

Adolescents' awareness of cancer risk factors and associations with health-related behaviours

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

UN SDGs

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