Racial variations in patterns of cancer information seeking: Results from the 2003 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS)

Background: As we continue to advance through the “information age,” cancer control information continues to be produced and disseminated at a rapid pace. Despite this proliferation of information, health educators continue to struggle with helping African Americans become informed cancer control consumers. Problems that have been noted with reaching African Americans may not only be related to the materials that are used but also the methods.

Purpose: To explore Black/White differences in cancer information seeking behavior among a nationally representative sample of adults in the United States.

Methods: Data from the 2003 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) were utilized for all analyses. The sample was initially divided according to information seeking status—seekers vs. non seekers. Information seekers were further classified by the sources from which they initially sought cancer information—health care providers vs. others. Two logistic regression models were computed to examine relationships between race and information seeking with age, gender, personal history of cancer and family history of cancer included as covariates.

Results: Results from the first regression model suggest that race was not a significant factor in overall cancer information seeking. However, when individual sources of cancer information were compared, Blacks were more than twice likely as Whites to have selected a source other than a health care provider as their initial source.

Conclusions: The data are sufficiently clear that Blacks and Whites have different patterns of cancer information seeking. Researchers should continue to explore culturally appropriate ways of educating African Americans about cancer.