Research article summary (published 7 Dec 1992):

Misconceptions about cancer among Latinos and Anglos.

Full Abstract

OBJECTIVE--To collect information regarding knowledge about and attitudes toward cancer in a sample of adult health plan members, self-identified as Latino or Anglo. DESIGN--Cross-sectional survey. SETTING--Prepaid health plan. RESPONDENTS--A random sample of 844 Latinos (mean age, 50.5 years) and 510 Anglos (51.8 years) completed the interview. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES AND RESULTS--Latinos were significantly more likely than Anglos to think that sugar substitutes (58% vs 42%), bruises from being hit (53% vs 34%), microwave ovens (47% vs 23%), eating pork (31% vs 11%), eating spicy foods (15% vs 8%), breast-feeding (14% vs 6%), and antibiotics (32% vs 12%) could cause cancer (P < .001 for each). Compared with Anglos, Latinos more often misidentified constant dizziness (39% vs 25%) and arthralgias (35% vs 20%) as being symptoms of cancer. A higher proportion of Latinos believed that having cancer is like getting a death sentence (46% vs 26%), that cancer is God's punishment (7% vs 2%), that there is very little one can do to prevent getting cancer (26% vs 18%), that it is uncomfortable to touch someone with cancer (13% vs 8%), and that they would rather not know if they had incurable cancer (35% vs 23%; P < .001 for each). Latino ethnicity was a significant predictor of these knowledge and attitude items in multivariate logistic regression models adjusted for sex, education, age, employment, marital status, county of residence, and self-perceived health status. CONCLUSIONS--We conclude that misconceptions about cancer are more prevalent among Latinos than Anglos and that selected attitudes about cancer among Latinos fit a cultural theme of fatalismo. These data can enable development of culturally appropriate cancer control interventions for Latinos.

Author information

Author/s: Pérez-Stable, E J (EJ); Sabogal, F (F); Otero-Sabogal, R (R); Hiatt, R A (RA); McPhee, S J (SJ);

Affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco.

Grants: CA 50030 (Agency:NCI NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Journal: JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), published in UNITED STATES. (Language: eng)

Reference: 1992-Dec; vol 268 (issue 22) : pp 3219-23

Dates: Created 1992/12/22; Completed 1992/12/22; Revised 2007/11/14;

PMID: 1433762, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

Comments and Corrections

CommentIn: JAMA. 1994 Jul 6;272(1):31-2. (PMID: 8007074)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adult Aged Cross-Sectional Studies Female Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Hispanic Americans Humans

Humans Logistic Models Male Middle Aged Multivariate Analysis Neoplasms - ethnology United States

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