Social and Administrative Sciences Division, 15533University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy, Madison, WI, USA.
Cancer Control. 2021 Jan-Dec;28:10732748211036057. doi: 10.1177/10732748211036057.
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death within the United States. Adolescence remains a critical stage of development in which new cognitive skills and lifestyle factors related to cancer are acquired. It is critical to understand adolescents' knowledge of cancer and preferences for receiving clear and easy-to-comprehend information about cancer and cancer prevention. The purpose of this study was to explore adolescents' perceptions of cancer and cancer risk factors and identify their preferences for receiving cancer prevention education.
The survey used in this study was based on the Health Belief Model framework, the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, and the Curriculum. The survey evaluated adolescents' knowledge, attitudes, and health-related behaviors regarding cancer and cancer prevention among adolescents. Three Midwestern middle and high schools were recruited, and 235 students completed the survey. Survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Study participants had some basic knowledge of cancer; however, only 66% recognized that individuals have control over their risk of developing cancer. Participants (95%) reported that cancer prevention was important, yet only 37.3% stated they knew how to lower their risk of getting cancer and 50% indicated that they currently try to make decisions that lower their chances of getting cancer. About 82% stated that an educational game would be a useful tool to learn about cancer and prevention.
Study findings indicate the need for an increase in adolescent knowledge of cancer, specifically how they can control their cancer risk, and prevention strategies through development of game-based education to teach adolescents about cancer-related topics.
癌症是美国主要的死亡原因之一。青少年仍然处于关键的发展阶段，在此期间，他们会获得与癌症相关的新认知技能和生活方式因素。了解青少年对癌症的认识以及他们对获取清晰易懂的癌症和癌症预防信息的偏好至关重要。本研究旨在探讨青少年对癌症和癌症风险因素的看法，并确定他们对接受癌症预防教育的偏好。
本研究中使用的调查基于健康信念模型框架、青少年风险行为调查和课程。该调查评估了青少年对癌症和癌症预防的知识、态度和与健康相关的行为。招募了三所中西部的中学，共有 235 名学生完成了调查。使用描述性统计方法分析调查结果。
研究参与者对癌症有一些基本的了解；然而，只有 66%的人认识到个人可以控制自己患癌症的风险。参与者（95%）表示癌症预防很重要，但只有 37.3%表示他们知道如何降低患癌症的风险，50%表示他们目前试图做出降低患癌症几率的决定。约 82%的人表示，教育游戏将是学习癌症和预防知识的有用工具。
研究结果表明，需要增加青少年对癌症的认识，特别是他们如何通过开发基于游戏的教育来控制癌症风险和预防策略，从而了解如何控制自己的癌症风险，以及预防策略。
