Information Seeking From Media and Family/Friends Increases the Likelihood of Engaging in Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors

Abstract

The amount of cancer-related information available to the general population continues to grow, yet its effects are unclear. This study extends previous cross-sectional research establishing that cancer information seeking across a variety of sources is extensive and positively associated with engaging in health-related behaviors. We studied how active information seeking about cancer prevention influenced three healthy lifestyle behaviors using a two-round nationally representative sample of adults ages 40–70 (n=1795), using propensity scoring to control for potential confounders including baseline behavior. The adjusted odds of dieting at follow-up were 1.51 [95% CI: 1.05 to 2.19] times higher for those who reported baseline seeking from media and interpersonal sources relative to non-seekers. Baseline seekers ate 0.59 [95% CI: 0.28, 0.91] more fruits/vegetable servings per day and exercised 0.36 [95% CI: 0.12 to 0.60] more days per week at one-year follow-up compared to non-seekers. The effects of seeking from media and friends/family on eating fruits/vegetables and exercising were independent of seeking from physicians. We offer several explanations for why information seeking predicts healthy lifestyle behaviors: information obtained motivates these behaviors; information sought teaches specific techniques; the act of information seeking may reinforce a psychological commitment to dieting, eating fruits/vegetables, and exercising.

Seeking Cancer-Related Information From Media and Family/Friends Increases Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Among Cancer Patients

“…This study adds to research showing cross-sectional positive and significant associations between information seeking and healthy lifestyle behaviors in a general population sample such as dieting to lose weight, exercise and fruit and vegetable consumption (Kelly, Niederdeppe & Hornik, 2009). Lagged evidence for a causal relationship, which demonstrates that information seeking leads to engaging in health behaviors, has been seen in other research (Ramirez et al 2009). However, much of this research has been limited to studying information seeking and its influence on health behaviors among the general public.…”

“…Please include 100% fruit juice, and fresh, frozen or canned fruits.” “In the past week, on average, how many servings of vegetables did you eat or drink per day, not counting potatoes? Please include green salad, 100% vegetable juice, and fresh, frozen or canned vegetables.” Both questions included six response options, ranging from “Less than one serving per day” “one serving per day” “two servings per day” up to “5 or more servings per day.” As in Ramirez et al (2009), we created a composite measure of fruit and vegetable intake, were we treated the response options for each question as interval, ranging from 0 to 5 levels, then generated a summed variable ranging from 0 to 10 levels. While the extreme categories (0 and 5) of each measure are ordinally related to the adjoining categories, the remaining categories retain meaning at the interval level.…”

“…Results of separate analyses examining the association between information seeking for other healthy lifestyle behaviors and cancer-related decisions are presented elsewhere (Lee, Gray, & Lewis, 2010; Gray, Armstrong, & DeMichele, et al, 2009). Past research shows an effect of seeking from non-clinical sources on fruit and vegetable consumption in the general population, adjusting for seeking from medical professional sources (Ramirez et al 2009). …”

Socioeconomic and Sociodemographic Predictors of Cancer-Related Information Sources Used by Cancer Survivors

“…In the patient-centered model of care, providers and patients are encouraged to share responsibility for treatment and decision making (Beach & Inui, 2006;Mead & Bower, 2000) and patients' health information-seeking is an important component of shared decision making. Information seeking in cancer patients is associated with taking a more active role in their care (Lee, Gray, & Lewis, 2010) and engaging in healthpromoting behaviors (Ramirez, Freres, et al, 2013).…”

The “New Public” and the “Good Ol’ Press”: Evaluating Online News Sources During the 2013 Polio Outbreak in Israel

“…The current study did not examine the public's risk perceptions or its decision-making processes, but there seems to be cause for cautious optimism. Keeping in mind that information seeking affects our health-related decisions (Niederdeppe et al, 2007;Ramírez et al, 2013), the fact that the public is exposed to scientific sources may indicate that laypeople are guided not only by intuitions and emotions but also by reason and analytical considerations.…”