Cancer Prevention: Knowledge, Attitudes and Lifestyle Cancer-Related Behaviors among Adolescents in Italy

Gabriella Di Giuseppe, Concetta P. Pelullo, Maria Mitidieri, Giuseppe Lioi and Maria Pavia
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Gabriella Di Giuseppe: Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 81100 Naples, Italy
Concetta P. Pelullo: Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 81100 Naples, Italy
Maria Mitidieri: Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 81100 Naples, Italy
Giuseppe Lioi: Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 81100 Naples, Italy
Maria Pavia: Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 81100 Naples, Italy

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 22, 1-12

Abstract: This study explores knowledge, attitudes and lifestyle behaviors related to cancer in a sample of adolescents. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. 871 adolescents agreed to participate, with a response rate of 96.8%. Only 26.1% had a good level of knowledge on most risk factors for cancer. Adolescents with both parents employed, with a personal, familiar or friend history of cancer or having received information about cancer prevention from a physician, were more likely to have good knowledge about the risk factors for cancer. In total, 41% of participants declared that they consumed alcohol and 25.3% declared they were current smokers, 19.2% consumed fruits or vegetables more than once a day and 75.2% reported poor physical activity. Older adolescents, with a personal, familiar or friend history of cancer, not having one parent in the healthcare sector or not physically active were significantly more likely to be current smokers, whereas physical activity was significantly more likely in adolescents who had been informed by physicians on cancer prevention, and had one parent in the healthcare sector. This study highlights a need for improved education of adolescents about cancer prevention and lifestyle cancer-related behaviors.

Keywords: attitudes; cancer; knowledge; lifestyle; prevention; risk factors; lifestyle cancer-related behaviors; adolescents (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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