Fear control and danger control in responses to lung cancer risk information in a poster

Petronella Langita, Felix and Ting, Su Hie (2023) Fear control and danger control in responses to lung cancer risk information in a poster. In: The International Conference on Global Issues, Trends and Directions (ICGD 2023), 26-27 May 2023, zoom.

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Abstract

Little is known about how people respond to health risk information and empirical findings on public responses to such information will lead to a better understanding of the kinds of information to include for better impact in public health intervention. The study examined the fear control and danger control in responses to lung cancer risk information in a poster. The objectives of this study were to: (1) to determine the magnitude of fear of lung cancer among the public, and (2) identify the fear control and danger control processes in response to a poster on lung cancer. The descriptive study involved semi-structured interviews with three participants from a family, aged 20 to 57. They were asked whether they were afraid of lung cancer before and after they viewed a poster on lung cancer produced by Malaysia National Cancer Institute. The results of the thematic analysis showed that fear control was more frequently expressed than danger control. Fear control was typified by a dismissive attitude towards lung cancer risk information, in which the participants were aware of lung cancer risk at a superficial level and failed to acknowledge the magnitude of the risk on their life. On the other hand, danger control themes could be seen in the participants’ acknowledgement and understanding of the nature and seriousness of lung cancer, as well as their intention to perform measures to avoid or prevent the threat of lung cancer such as quitting smoking or avoiding passive smoking. The study provides empirical data to fill in the gap of knowledge on the prevalence of danger control and fear control in responses to health risk information.

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