. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2011 Jan 1.

Published in final edited form as: Cancer Causes Control. 2009 Sep 29;21(1):99–107. doi: 10.1007/s10552-009-9439-3

Table 3. Causal attributions for colorectal cancer – by demographics.

(% agreed or strongly agreed with cause)

Cause	Age		Education		Ethnicity			Family History
	<50	50+	<Bachelors	Bachelors+	Black	White	Hispanic	No	Yes
Stress or worry	26.1	34.0	27.5	33.8	32.4	26.8^a	40.0^a	30.2	21.7
Hereditary – it runs in my family	85.0^a	69.1^a	73.8	89.7	70.6	80.5	85.0	80.0	65.2
A germ or virus	24.6	20.2	24.4	19.1	32.3	19.5	30.0	22.9	21.7
Diet or eating habits	64.2^a	77.6^a	69.4	70.6	64.7	71.9	60.0	70.2	65.2
Chance or bad luck	37.3	18.2	22.6	45.6	11.8^a	34.2^a	25.0	30.7	17.4
Poor medical care in my past	39.5	38.3	36.9	44.1	47.1	36.0	45.0	42.0^a	13.0^a
Pollution in the environment	41.1	39.4	35.0	53.0	44.1	38.5	35.0	42.5	21.7
My own behavior	41.8	37.3	33.2	55.9	44.1	37.8	50.0	41.5	26.0
My emotional state (e.g., feeling down, lonely, anxious, empty)	17.1^b	22.3^b	16.3	26.5	14.7	17.7^a	35.0^a	20.0	13.0
Aging	60.5	53.2	52.5	69.1	35.3	61.6	65.0	60.5	30.4
Alcohol	39.6	42.6	35.6	53.0	35.3	39.6	50.0	41.0	39.1
Smoking	50.0	52.2	46.9	60.3	50.0	50.0	55.0	51.7	43.5
Accident or injury	11.2	9.7	10.7	10.3	11.8	10.4	5.0	11.2	4.5
My personality	4.5^a	8.6^a	4.4	10.3	2.9	6.7	0.0	5.9	8.7
Changes in my immune system	54.5	66.0	58.1	61.8	58.8	56.7	75.0	59.5	56.5
My mental attitude (e.g., thinking about life negatively)	14.1^c	26.6^c	15.7	27.9	11.7	19.5	25.0	19.0	21.7
Overwork	17.9	16.1	14.4	23.5	14.7	14.1	35.0	18.1	8.7
Family problems or worries	17.2	28.8	21.2	23.5	14.7	20.7	40.0	22.0	21.7
Lack of exercise	44.7	43.6	38.1^a	58.9^a	38.2	45.7	50.0	45.8	30.4
Prior surgery (on breast/on colon)	34.3	30.9	32.5	33.8	38.2	30.5	45.0	32.6	34.7

= p≤.01

= p≤.005

= p≤.001