Table 4.
Predictors of Optimal Risk Communicationa in Newspaper Stories About Cancer Morbidity Risk, 2003
| Variable | No. of Stories (%) | Optimal Risk Communication | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| ||||
| % | OR (95% CI) | AOR (95% CI) | ||
| News type (reference: mainstream) | ||||
| Ethnic | 108 (16.0) | 22.2 | 1.27 (0.77-2.10) | NC |
| Story format (reference: other) | ||||
| Report of new research | 344 (51.0) | 23.3 | 2.36 (1.13-4.93) | 1.09c (0.63-1.90) |
| Policy/politics | 47 (7.0) | 17.0 | 1.60 (0.57-4.47) | NC |
| Awareness/education | 118 (17.5) | 17.8 | 1.68 (0.73-3.90) | NC |
| Profile | 86 (12.8) | 11.6 | 1.02 (0.39-2.67) | NC |
| Origin (reference: not wire service) | ||||
| Wire service | 134 (19.9) | 25.4 | 1.61 (1.03-2.53) | 1.15 (0.68-1.95) |
| Cancer type (reference: not cancer type)b | ||||
| Lung | 124 (19.1) | 24.2 | 1.31 (0.79-2.20) | NC |
| Breast | 288 (44.4) | 20.5 | 1.21 (0.79-2.20) | NC |
| Colorectal | 125 (19.3) | 20.8 | .92 (0.54-1.58) | NC |
| Skin | 112 (17.3) | 25.0 | 1.54 (0.94-2.53) | NC |
| Prostate | 149 (23.0) | 28.2 | 1.88 (1.21-2.91) | 1.90 (1.18-3.05) |
| Female reproductive | 102 (15.7) | 19.6 | .99 (0.56-1.73) | NC |
| Sources cited (reference: source not cited)b | ||||
| National Cancer Institute | 100 (14.8) | 27.0 | 1.39 (0.83-2.31) | NC |
| American Cancer Society | 186 (27.6) | 28.0 | 2.05 (1.35-3.09) | 1.49 (0.95-2.33) |
| Scientific journals | 215 (31.9) | 28.4 | 2.12 (1.39-3.25) | 1.78 (1.05-3.03) |
| Research institutions | 345 (51.2) | 22.3 | 1.17 (0.77-1.80) | NC |
| Pharmaceutical companies | 48 (7.1) | 22.9 | 1.12 (0.54-2.32) | NC |
| General risk type (reference: not risk type)b | ||||
| Lifestyle risk | 256 (38.0) | 25.4 | 1.54 (1.02-2.33) | 1.54 (1.00-2.35) |
| Genetic risk | 160 (23.7) | 26.3 | 1.12 (0.71-1.78) | |
| Demographic risk | 306 (45.4) | 27.8 | 2.55 (1.66-3.92) | 2.06 (1.31-3.23) |
| Medical risk | 143 (21.2) | 31.5 | 2.29 (1.47-3.56) | 2.17 (1.34-3.50) |
| Environmental/occupational risk | 99 (14.7) | 22.2 | 1.43 (0.82-2.48) | NC |
Abbreviations: OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval; AOR, adjusted odds ratio; NC, not calculated.
a
"Optimal risk communication" was defined as presenting the combination of absolute risk, relative risk, and efficacy information.
b
Each item in these categories is a distinct measure. The referent is the absence of the item. For example, the referent for lung cancer is stories that did not discuss lung cancer.
c
A dummy variable was computed, comparing reports of new research to all other story formats.