Preventing Cancer, Diabetes, Heart Disease and Stroke: Surveying Attitudes, Collectively, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke account for nearly two …
November 2004
Preventing Cancer, Diabetes, Heart Disease and Stroke:
Surveying Attitudes, Knowledge and Risk
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The American Cancer Society ACS, American Diabetes Association ADA and
American Heart Association AHA recently conducted a study to examine
awareness among Americans about lifestyle choices and behaviors that they
can control to help reduce their risk of developing serious chronic
diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke
Collectively, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke account for nearly
two out of three deaths in America today Lifestyle factors, such as
obesity, poor nutrition, smoking and lack of physical activity have a
significant impact on the development of these diseases Each year, more
than 15 million Americans die from cancer, diabetes, heart disease or
stroke Financially, it is estimated that these chronic diseases cost
America more than 600 billion each year Cancer costs America over 180
billion in direct and indirect costs; diabetes, 132 billion; and heart
disease and stroke, 329 billion The cost to America
for obesity - which
plays a role in all of these diseases - is estimated at 117 billion
This research looks at individual awareness, attitudes and behaviors
related to health-enhancing lifestyle changes such as eating a healthy
diet, maintaining a healthy weight, increasing physical activity, avoiding
tobacco smoke, and seeing a health care provider to assess personal risk
for disease
The research results indicate that while most people report to be
knowledgeable about the problems - and risks - associated with poor health
habits such as smoking, being inactive and having a poor diet, many people
believe that there isnt much they can do to prevent or delay the onset of
diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke
People appear to have a greater concern - and are more motivated to take
action - to protect themselves from external risks or negative influences
on their safety by wearing a seat belt or locking their doors to prevent
burglary than they are about improving personal health behaviors, such as
getting regular physical activity, controlling portion sizes, and limiting
intake of fatty foods, that will help protect them from health risks
Survey
Methodology
This national survey of 2,027 adults was conducted in June 2004 as part of
an omnibus study of adults 18 years and older Half of the sample was male
and half was female The omnibus methodology uses a fully replicated,
stratified, single-stage random digit-dialing RDD sample of telephone
households
- More-
Prevention Survey, p 2/4
Survey Findings
Everyday Safety Measures
People are twice as concerned about outside influences on their safety as
they are about those factors they can personally influence While
individuals may take steps to protect themselves against certain obvious
external challenges to safety - for example, by locking the doors to their
homes against intruders - they do not appear to realize that unhealthy
lifestyle habits, such as poor diet and a lack of exercise, are equivalent
threats
Nine out of ten survey respondents report that they always or most
of the time take everyday safety precautions, like wearing seatbelts
and locking their house doors/windows
Only about half of survey respondents report that they always or
most of the time get regular physical activity 552,
control
portion sizes 477, and limit their intake of fatty foods 467
About one-third 341 report watching calories always or most of
the time
Health Habits
Poor diet, excess weight, smoking and physical inactivity are significant
risk factors for cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke The Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention report that deaths due to poor diet and
physical inactivity rose by 33 percent over the past decade and may soon
overtake tobacco as the leading preventable cause of death
According to survey respondents:
Nearly 60 percent of respondents are overweight 334 or obese
229 based on self-reports of height and weight measurements
One-quarter 267 of respondents report smoking either cigarettes or
cigars
Medical Screenings
Routine medical care can help prevent disease and save lives To further
evaluate how rigorous survey respondents are with respect to health
precautions, we asked about their frequency of specific medical tests
Screening guidelines recommended by the American Cancer Society, American
Diabetes Association and American Heart Association:
Everyone:
- Blood pressure: Starting at age 20, each
regular healthcare visit
- Blood cholesterol test: Starting at age 40 every 5 years
- Blood glucose sugar test: Starting at age 45 every 3 years
- Colon screening: Starting at age 50 every 1-10 years depending on the
test your doctor uses
Women only:
- Clinical breast exam: Starting at age 20, every three years/yearly
after 40
- Mammography: Starting at age 40, yearly
- Pap test: From age 20-30 yearly, then every 1-3 years depending on past
results and the test used
Men only:- Prostate: Starting at age 50 ask your doctor each year about
the pros and cons of testing
- More-
Prevention Survey, p 3/4
According to the research findings:
Blood pressure is the most frequently cited medical test, with almost
all respondents aged 20 and older having had their blood pressure
taken at least once in their lifetime964 More than eight in ten
839 report that their blood pressure was measured within the last
year
Cholesterol 87 among those 40 and older and fasting blood glucose
798 among those 45 and older have been measured at least once in
their lifetime for eight in ten of the relevant age
groups Almost two-
thirds 639 report having their cholesterol testing within the past
year; a slightly lower proportion 579 had a fasting blood glucose
test within the 12 months prior to the survey
Colon screening has a far lower incidence, with only 60 of
respondents 50 years and older having ever had this test Only one in
four 255 had their colon screening within the past year
Nine out of ten in the appropriate age groups have ever had the tests
recommended for women - pap test 94 of women 20 years , mammogram
915 among women 40 and older, and clinical breast exam 895
among women 20 About six in ten of each appropriate age group
report having the test within the past year pap test, 599;
mammogram, 543; clinical breast exam, 621
Eight in ten 798 of the male sample 50 years and older have ever
had a PSA blood test to screen for prostate cancer Six out of ten
591 had their last prostate cancer screening within the past year
Cancer, Diabetes, Heart Disease and Stroke: Prevalence, Impact and Control
Each year more than 15 million Americans die from cancer, diabetes, heart
disease or stroke -
accounting for nearly two out of three deaths in
America today
According to the survey, respondents profess to be knowledgeable about the
diseases most likely to kill vast numbers of the population, yet the
majority of people do not feel that there is much they can do about it
Respondents do not appear to acknowledge the connection between their
everyday health choices and related risk for developing disease
Eighty percent of survey respondents have not been diagnosed with any
of these diseases
Diabetes 87 and heart disease 82 are cited by eight in 100
each
Cancer 56 and stroke 26 have the lowest reported
prevalence
The vast majority 839 of survey respondents express awareness of
disease impact eg, 2 out of 3 deaths in America annually
20 percent of survey respondents believe that they do not have very
much or any control over the development of these diseases
Half of survey respondents 492 believe that they have only some
control over the development of these diseases
Only 29 percent of respondents believe that they have complete or a
great deal of control over the development of these
diseases
Smokers and overweight/obese respondents were the least likely to express
the belief that they have any control over the development of these
diseases
- More-
Prevention Survey, p 4/4
Barriers to a Healthy Lifestyle
Some people know that diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and
stroke can be prevented through a healthy lifestyle, yet not everyone makes
healthy choices all the time In trying to better understand why people
dont always make healthy lifestyle choices, we learned that:
The difficulty and lifestyle pressures surrounding the right choices
are perceived as the greatest barriers to improving health behaviors
As such, people let these barriers keep them in an unhealthy, at-risk
state
Healthy choices are seen as too difficult and too much work
Nearly half of the survey respondents 483 report lacking the
energy, time and willpower to make healthy choices
A little more than 10 percent of respondents report that they dont
know what healthy choices are or they cite their lack of knowledge as
a factor of their upbringing
Cost and access are not
identified as barriers
Conclusion
The good news coming from the survey is that people do report to be aware
of the problems and risks associated with poor health behaviors, and the
majority are seeing doctors for regular medical check-ups perhaps with the
exception of colon screening
Unfortunately, the publics awareness of the problems associated with poor
health behaviors such as smoking, being inactive and having a poor diet are
not translating into improvements in personal health behaviors People do
not see this as a big enough problem
Seven out of ten Americans 692 think they have only some or little
control over their likelihood for developing cancer, diabetes, heart
disease or stroke This pessimism is not backed up by the facts While
there will be some exceptions due to genetics, the vast majority of adults
can significantly reduce their chances of developing these diseases by
eating a healthier diet, maintaining a healthy weight, getting more active,
not smoking, and seeing a doctor regularly
This is a serious public health problem and that is why the American Cancer
Society, American Diabetes Association and American Heart Association have
joined together in a
historic collaboration to encourage the prevention and
early detection of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke Everyday
Choices For A Healthier Life is a joint initiative with the goal of
stimulating improvements in disease prevention and early detection by
increasing public awareness about healthy lifestyles, increasing the focus
on prevention among healthcare providers, and supporting legislative action
to increase funding for and access to prevention programs and research
More information can be found at wwweverydaychoicesorg This Web site
provides information about the everyday choices people can make to improve
their health and provides links to all three organizations for more
information about each disease
In addition, consumers can call a toll-free information line 1-866-399-
6789 to request a free brochure
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Source:ama-assn.org
