TY  - JOUR
AU  - Zhang, Lianshan
AU  - Jiang, Shaohai
PY  - 2024
DA  - 2024/5/31
TI  - Examining the Role of Information Behavior in Linking Cancer Risk Perception and Cancer Worry to Cancer Fatalism in China: Cross-Sectional Survey Study
JO  - J Med Internet Res
SP  - e49383
VL  - 26
KW  - cancer fatalism
KW  - cancer risk perception
KW  - cancer worry
KW  - health information seeking
KW  - information avoidance
AB  - Background: Reducing cancer fatalism is essential because of its detrimental impact on cancer-related preventive behaviors. However, little is known about factors influencing individuals’ cancer fatalism in China. Objective: With a general basis of the extended parallel process model, this study aims to examine how distinct cancer-related mental conditions (risk perception and worry) and different information behaviors (information seeking vs avoidance) become associated with cancer fatalism, with an additional assessment of the moderating effect of information usefulness. Methods: Data were drawn from the Health Information National Trends Survey in China, which was conducted in 2017 (N=2358). Structural equation modeling and bootstrapping methods were performed to test a moderated mediation model and hypothesized relationships. Results: The results showed that cancer risk perception and cancer worry were positively associated with online health information seeking. In addition, cancer worry was positively related to cancer information avoidance. Moreover, online health information seeking was found to reduce cancer fatalism, while cancer information avoidance was positively associated with cancer fatalism. The results also indicated that the perceived usefulness of cancer information moderated this dual-mediation pathway. Conclusions: The national survey data indicate that cancer mental conditions should not be treated as homogeneous entities, given their varying functions and effects. Apart from disseminating useful cancer information to encourage individuals to adaptively cope with cancer threats, we advocate for health communication programs to reduce cancer information avoidance to alleviate fatalistic beliefs about cancer prevention. 
SN  - 1438-8871
UR  - https://www.jmir.org/2024/1/e49383
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/49383
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/38819919
DO  - 10.2196/49383
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/49383
ER  -