Authors: Larson, Robin J.; Woloshin, Steven; Schwartz, Lisa M.; Welch, H. Gilbert

Source: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Volume 97, Number 9, 4 May 2005 , pp. 693-695(3)

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Abstract:

Celebrities often promote cancer screening by relating personal anecdotes about their own diagnosis or that of a loved one. We used data obtained from a random-digit dialing survey conducted in the United States from December 2001 through July 2002 to examine the extent to which adults of screening age without a history of cancer had seen or heard or been influenced by celebrity endorsements of screening mammography, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, or sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy. The survey response rate was 72% among those known to be eligible and 51% among potentially eligible people accounting for those who could not be contacted. A total of 360 women aged 40 years or older and 140 men aged 50 years or older participated in the survey. Most respondents reported they “had seen or heard a celebrity talk about” mammography (73% of women aged 40 years or older), PSA testing (63% of men aged 50 years or older), or sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy (52% of adults aged 50 years or older). At least one-fourth of respondents who had seen or heard a celebrity endorsement said that the endorsement made them more likely to undergo mammography (25%), PSA testing (31%), or sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy (37%).

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jnci/dji117

Publication date: 2005-05-04

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• JNCI - Journal of the National Cancer Institute publishes peer-reviewed original research from around the world and is internationally acclaimed as the source for the most up-to-date news and information from the rapidly changing fields of cancer research and treatment. For the past several years, the JNCI has been ranked as the most-cited original-research cancer journal by the Institute of Scientific Information in its annual Journal Citation Reports. The Journal of the National Cancer Institute's impact factor for 2005, as reported in 2006, was 15.171.

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