ASPO Abstracts
An Examination of Causal Attributions of Cancer from a Population Health Assessment
Category: Behavioral Science & Health Communication
Conference Year: 2020
Abstract Body:
Purpose: To determine factors associated with causal attributions of cancer among adults within the Virginia
Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center catchment area.
Methods: Data were obtained from a cross-sectional survey of 559 respondents of the Together for Health –
Virginia Study, a population-based sample of adults. Individual-level factors including demographic (age,
gender, race/ethnicity, rural identity) and socioeconomic (education, income) characteristics were assessed, as
well as lifestyle (tobacco use, body mass index), medical history (family or personal history of cancer), delay
discounting, and individuals' attitudes towards alternative therapies. Attitudes towards cancer were measured
by eight items reported on a 4-point Likert scale (strongly agree to strongly disagree). The first four items
reflected participants' agreement on the following as causes of cancer: behavior, tobacco, obesity, and HPV.
The other four items included statements that reflected fatalism about cancer (e.g. everything causes cancer,
there's not much you can do to lower your chances of getting cancer). Structural equation models were run
separately for each type of belief modeled as a latent dependent variable.
Results: Respondents were 55.6 years (SD=15.8) on average, 72.6% White, 51.6% female, and 38.3% self-
reported rural identity. Fatalistic beliefs about cancer was associated with rural identity (β=0.1, p=0.02) and
believing in alternative therapies as a primary cancer treatment (β=0.1, p=0.03) while older age
(β=-0.3,p<0.01), higher levels of education attainment (β=-0.2, p<0.01), and having a personal history of
cancer (β=-0.2, p<0.01) were significantly associated with lower fatalism. Stronger beliefs in concrete causes
of cancer were associated with higher educational attainment (β=0.2, p<0.01) and income levels (β=0.2,
p=0.01). These beliefs were lower among Black respondents (β=-0.2, p=0.02).
Conclusions: This study provides evidence for the relationship between causal attributions of cancer and
individual factors, emphasizing the role that culture may play. Future implementation research is needed to
culturally adapt prevention efforts and cancer awareness messaging and campaigns using causal attributions
of cancer.
Keywords: causal attribution, cancer beliefs, fatalism, behaviors, cancer