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Low Health Literacy and Health Information Avoidance but Not Satisficing Help Explain “Don’t Know†Responses to Questions Assessing Perceived Risk

Author

Listed:
  • Heather Orom
  • Elizabeth Schofield
  • Marc T. Kiviniemi
  • Erika A. Waters
  • Caitlin Biddle
  • Xuewei Chen
  • Yuelin Li
  • Kimberly A. Kaphingst
  • Jennifer L. Hay

Abstract

Background . People who say they don’t know (DK) their disease risk are less likely to engage in protective behavior. Purpose . This study examined possible mechanisms underlying not knowing one’s risk for common diseases. Methods . Participants were a nationally representative sample of 1005 members of a standing probability-based survey panel who answered questions about their comparative and absolute perceived risk for diabetes and colon cancer, health literacy, risk factor knowledge and health information avoidance, and beliefs about illness unpredictability. Survey satisficing was a composite assessment of not following survey instructions, nondifferentiation of responses, haphazard responding, and speeding. The primary outcomes were whether a person selected DK when asked absolute and comparative risk perception questions about diabetes or colon cancer. Base structural equation modeling path models with pathways from information avoidance and health literacy/knowledge to DK responding for each DK outcome were compared to models that also included pathways from satisficing or unpredictability beliefs. Results . Base models contained significant indirect effects of health literacy (odds ratios [ORs] = 0.94 to 0.97, all P 0.17, all weighted root mean square residuals >3.2, all Comparative Fit Index

Suggested Citation

  • Heather Orom & Elizabeth Schofield & Marc T. Kiviniemi & Erika A. Waters & Caitlin Biddle & Xuewei Chen & Yuelin Li & Kimberly A. Kaphingst & Jennifer L. Hay, 2018. "Low Health Literacy and Health Information Avoidance but Not Satisficing Help Explain “Don’t Know†Responses to Questions Assessing Perceived Risk," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 38(8), pages 1006-1017, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:medema:v:38:y:2018:i:8:p:1006-1017
    DOI: 10.1177/0272989X18799999
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Emanuel, Amber S. & Kiviniemi, Marc T. & Howell, Jennifer L. & Hay, Jennifer L. & Waters, Erika A. & Orom, Heather & Shepperd, James A., 2015. "Avoiding cancer risk information," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 113-120.
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    Cited by:

    1. Dorota Kleszczewska & Joanna Mazur & Katarzyna Porwit & Anna Kowalewska, 2022. "Who Is Able to Resist What Is Forbidden?—The Relationship between Health Literacy and Risk Behaviours in Secondary School Students in the Broader Social and Educational Context," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-16, July.

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