Association between Cancer Literacy and Cancer-Related Behaviour: Evidence from Ticino, Switzerland

BACKGROUND This paper details the role of different dimensions of health literacy in the relationship between health literacy and cancer-related health behaviours. In particular, Cancer Literacy is studied as an exemplar of a dimension of health literacy beyond basic reading and writing skills. The link between functional health literacy, Cancer Literacy and cancer-related health behaviours is investigated in a sample of Ticino (Switzerland) residents (n=639). DESIGN AND METHODS Detailed data is collected about respondents' functional health literacy, Cancer Literacy, cancer information seeking behaviour, engagement in cancer preventive behaviours, participation to cancer screenings, and intention to adhere to current screening recommendations. RESULTS Results confirm the added value of Cancer Literacy - compared to functional health literacy - in explaining people's cancer information seeking behaviour, their participation to several cancer screenings and their screening intention, underscoring the need to take into account dimensions of health literacy beyond basic functional skills. CONCLUSIONS From a public health perspective, findings provide further evidence on the importance of adapting informational and educational communication intervention designed to improve cancer prevention and screening to different audiences. Significance for public healthFrom a public health perspective, our findings underscore the importance of adapting informational and educational communication interventions designed to improve cancer prevention and screening to different audiences, which could differ not only in their functional health literacy, and in particular to put into place strategies to evaluate their success, including the actual transformation of information in relevant knowledge that can be used as a basis for health decision making. Moreover, the cancer literacy score is able to provide researchers and public health officials with detailed information on which are the main gaps in cancer knowledge and to identify the segments of the population that are more at risk. This information could be used to design and develop targeted informational campaigns for low health literate citizens.