CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, Vol 17, 291-293, Copyright
© 1967 by American Cancer Society
Communicating Cancer Information Through Mass Distribution Leaflets—an American Cancer Society Study
The interest and concern of volunteers are the key factors in determining whether or not people read a mass distribution leaflet. The format and appearance of the leaflet have secondary importance.
The Study points up the importance of house-to-house volunteers showing their involvement in cancer control and urging those receiving the leaflet to read it. Seventy-two percent of those questioned read the leaflet when the volunteer encouraged them to do so, compared with 40% when the volunteer did not encourage them.
About fifty percent receiving a leaflet read it. Men are more resistant to reading leaflets than women. Of those [See Fig. 2 in Source Pdf.] [See Table 1 in Source Pdf.] reading it (women and men), 61% recalled the most frequently cited warning signal of cancer—a lump or thickening in the breast. In the case of the control group which did not receive information about cancer's warning signals, 56% named this warning. Two other examples bear out the fact that reading a leaflet increases knowledge of cancer's warning signals. Forty percent of those reading a test leaflet named a sore that doesn't heal, compared with 32% of the control. Twenty-one percent named a change in bowel or bladder habits compared with 16% in the control group.
Knowledge of cancer's warning signals is the same among people receiving test leaflets, terming them "warning signals" or "danger signals". Use of either is effective in communicating information about cancer.
