Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 641 Lexington Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10022-4503, USA.
J Behav Med. 2011 Jun;34(3):157-69. doi: 10.1007/s10865-010-9296-2. Epub 2010 Sep 25.
Lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals are a sexual minority experiencing elevated cancer risk factors and health disaparites, e.g., elevated tobacco use, disproportionate rates of infection with human immunodeficiency virus. Little attention has been paid to cancer prevention, education, and control in sexual minorities. This study describes cancer risk perceptions and their correlates so as to generate testable hypotheses and provide a foundation for targeting cancer prevention and risk reduction efforts in this high risk population. A cross-sectional survey of affiliates of a large urban community center serving sexual minority persons yielded a study sample of 247 anonymous persons. The survey assessed demographics, absolute perceived cancer risk, cancer risk behaviors, desired lifestyle changes to reduce cancer risk, and psychosocial variables including stress, depression, and stigma. Univariate and multivariate nonparametric statistics were used for analyses. The sample was primarily white non-Hispanic, middle-aged, and > 80% had at least a high school education. Mean values for absolute perceived cancer risk (range 0-100% risk), were 43.0 (SD = 25.4) for females, and for males, 49.3 (SD = 24.3). For females, although the multivariate regression model for absolute perceived cancer risk was statistically significant (P < .05), no single model variable was significant. For men, the multivariate regression model was significant (P < .001), with endorsement of "don't smoke/quit smoking" to reduce personal cancer risk (P < .001), and greater number of sexual partners (P = .054), positively associated with absolute perceived risk for cancer. This study provides novel data on cancer risk perceptions in sexual minorities, identifying correlates of absolute perceived cancer risk for each gender and several potential foci for cancer prevention interventions with this at-risk group.
女同性恋者、男同性恋者和双性恋者是一个性少数群体，他们面临着更高的癌症风险因素和健康差异，例如吸烟率升高、艾滋病毒感染率不成比例。人们对性少数群体的癌症预防、教育和控制关注甚少。本研究描述了癌症风险认知及其相关因素，以便提出可检验的假设，并为针对这一高风险人群的癌症预防和降低风险工作提供基础。对一家为性少数群体提供服务的大型城市社区中心的附属机构进行了横断面调查，产生了一个由 247 名匿名人员组成的研究样本。该调查评估了人口统计学特征、绝对癌症风险感知、癌症风险行为、降低癌症风险的理想生活方式改变、以及包括压力、抑郁和耻辱感在内的心理社会变量。使用单变量和多变量非参数统计进行分析。该样本主要为白种人、非西班牙裔、中年人群，且 > 80%的人至少受过高中教育。女性绝对癌症风险感知的平均值（范围 0-100%的风险）为 43.0（SD = 25.4），男性为 49.3（SD = 24.3）。对于女性，尽管绝对癌症风险感知的多元回归模型具有统计学意义（P <.05），但没有单一的模型变量具有显著意义。对于男性，多元回归模型具有统计学意义（P <.001），与减少个人癌症风险的“不吸烟/戒烟”（P <.001）以及更多的性伴侣（P =.054）呈正相关，与绝对癌症风险感知呈正相关。本研究提供了性少数群体癌症风险认知的新数据，确定了每个性别的绝对癌症风险感知的相关因素，以及针对该高危群体的癌症预防干预的几个潜在重点。
