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Cancer Prevention Knowledge of People with Profound Hearing Loss

  • Original Article
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Journal of General Internal Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Deaf persons, a documented minority population, have low reading levels and difficulty communicating with physicians. The effect of these on their knowledge of cancer prevention recommendations is unknown.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study of 222 d/Deaf persons in Michigan, age 18 and older, chose one of four ways (voice, video of a certified American Sign Language interpreter, captions, or printed English) to complete a self-administered computer video questionnaire about demographics, hearing loss, language history, health-care utilization, and health-care information sources, as well as family and social variables. Twelve questions tested their knowledge of cancer prevention recommendations. The outcome measures were the percentage of correct answers to the questions and the association of multiple variables with these responses.

RESULTS

Participants averaged 22.9% correct answers with no gender difference. Univariate analysis revealed that smoking history, types of medical problems, last physician visit, and women having previous cancer preventive tests did not affect scores. Improved scores occurred with computer use (p = 0.05), higher education (p < 0.01) and income (p = 0.01), hearing spouses (p < 0.01), speaking English in multiple situations (p < 0.001), and in men with previous prostate cancer testing (p = 0.04). Obtaining health information from books (p = 0.05), physicians (p = 0.008), nurses (p = 0.03) or the internet (p = 0.02), and believing that smoking is bad (p < 0.001) also improved scores. Multivariate analysis revealed that English use (p = 0.01) and believing that smoking was bad (p = 0.05) were associated with improved scores.

CONCLUSION

Persons with profound hearing loss have poor knowledge of recommended cancer prevention interventions. English use in multiple settings was strongly associated with increased knowledge.

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Acknowledgement

The authors would like to thank Terri Fear, Linda Ignasiak, Truman Delaire, and Tamara Davidson for their assistance with this project. The research was supported by NIH grant no. R25DC004604. Figure 1 originally appeared in the article “Deaf Persons and Computer Use” in the American Annals of the Deaf, Winter 2004, vol. 148, no. 5, reprinted by permission of the publisher. Copyright 2004 by Gallaudet University.

Conflict of Interest

None disclosed.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Medicine, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Philip Zazove MD, Barbara D. Reed MD, MSPH, Ananda Sen PhD & Daniel W. Gorenflo PhD

  2. Private Deaf Consultant, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Helen E. Meador PhD

Authors
  1. Philip Zazove MD
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  2. Helen E. Meador PhD
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  3. Barbara D. Reed MD, MSPH
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  4. Ananda Sen PhD
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  5. Daniel W. Gorenflo PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Philip Zazove MD.

Appendix

Appendix

The set of questions asked

  1. 1.

    How often should you get a Pap smear at your age?

    • I don’t know

    • Every year

    • Every 1–3 years, if sexually active, depending on doctor’s evaluation

    • Every 1–2 years, depending on doctor’s evaluation

    • All of the above

    • None of the above

  2. 2.

    How often should you get a mammogram at your age?

    • I don’t know

    • Not recommended at my age

    • Every year

    • Every 3 years

    • Every 1–2 years, depending on doctor’s evaluation

    • All of the above

    • None of the above

  3. 3.

    What is the goal of a mammogram?

    • I don’t know

    • To find breast cancer after the woman could feel the cancer

    • To find breast cancer after the woman had breast problems

    • To find breast cancer when it is very small

    • To find breast cancer when it is very big

    • All of the above

    • None of the above

  4. 4.

    How often should you get a prostate exam at your age?

    • I don’t know

    • Not recommended at my age

    • Depending on how much risk for me, my doctor will recommend

    • Every year

    • Every 1–2 years, depending on doctor’s evaluation

    • All of the above

    • None of the above

  5. 5.

    What type of cancer testing involves the letters

    • A (asymmetry)

    • B (border)

    • C (color)

    • D (diameter)?

    • – I don’t know

    • – Lung

    • – Stomach

    • – Skin

    • – Colon

    • – All of the above

    • – None of the above

  6. 6.

    Which of the following problems can smoking cause?

    • I don’t know

    • Neck cancer

    • Colon cancer

    • Lung cancer

    • Bladder cancer

    • All of the above

    • None of the above

  7. 7.

    How many minutes a day, most days of the week, should you exercise?

    • I don’t know

    • Not less than 5

    • Not less than 15

    • Not less than 30

    • Not less than 45

    • All of the above

    • None of the above

  8. 8.

    How often should you get a fecal occult blood test (test bowel movement sample for blood) for colon cancer at your age?

    • I don’t know

    • Not recommended at my age

    • Every year

    • Every 2 years

    • Every 5 years

    • All of the above

    • None of the above

  9. 9.

    How often should you get a sigmoidoscopy (doctor looks inside rectum with tube) at your age?

    • I don’t know

    • Not recommended at my age

    • Every year

    • Every 3 years

    • Every 5 years

    • All of the above

    • None of the above

  10. 10.

    Digital rectal exam (doctor checks rectum with fingers) can find which of the following kinds of cancer?

    • I don’t know

    • Colon

    • Skin

    • Ovary

    • Testicles

    • All of the above

    • None of the above

  11. 11.

    What is the biggest cause of cancer in America?

    • I don’t know

    • Alcohol and drug abuse

    • Smoking

    • Too many X-rays

    • Not enough exercise

    • All of the above

    • None of the above

  12. 12.

    What is the biggest cause of heart attacks in America?

    • I don’t know

    • Alcohol and drug abuse

    • Smoking

    • Dangerous chemicals

    • Not enough exercise

    • All of the above

    • None of the above

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Zazove, P., Meador, H.E., Reed, B.D. et al. Cancer Prevention Knowledge of People with Profound Hearing Loss. J GEN INTERN MED 24, 320–326 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-008-0895-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-008-0895-3

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