Table 2 Logistic Regression on relationships between socio-demographic variables and perceptions of links to cancer, and agreement with statements about cancer and the etiology of chronic disease
Perceptions of Links to Cancer | Model Covariates | Significant Variables | Odds Ratio (95% Confidence Interval) |
Participating in regular exercise | Age, Education, Sex, Health, Household Income | Education | 0.70 (0.55–0.90) |
Sex | 0.73 (0.58–0.92) | ||
Maintaining a healthy body weight | Age, Education, Household Income, and Population Centre | Education | 0.63 (0.49–0.80) |
Smoking cigarettes | Age, Employment, Sex, Health, Household Income, Household Size, and Population Centre | – | – |
Using other tobacco products | Age, Education, Employment, Sex, Health, Household Income, and Provincial Vote | – | – |
Drinking excessive alcohol | Education, Federal Vote, Sex, Health, Household Income, Population Centre, and Provincial Vote | Sex | 0.51 (0.37–0.69) |
Where a person works | Age, Education, Employment, Federal Vote, Population Centre, Provincial Vote | – | – |
Where a person goes to school | Employment, Sex, Health, and Household income | Sex | 0.68 (0.53–0.88) |
Eating a healthy balanced diet | Education, Employment, Sex, Health, and Household Income | Household Income | 1.54 (1.17–2.03) |
Eating sufficient servings of fruits and vegetables | Education, Employment, and Household Income | Education | 0.69 (0.55–0.88) |
Exposure to tobacco smoke | Education, Federal Vote, Health, and Provincial Vote | – | – |
Smoking marijuana | Age, Education, Employment, Federal Vote, Health, Household Income, and Provincial Vote | Age | 1.02 (1.01–1.03) |
Residing near industrial facilities | Age, Education, Federal Vote, Sex, Household Income, and Provincial Vote | Sex | 0.47 (0.31–0.72) |
The neighborhood, town or city where a person lives | Age, Education, Employment, Federal Vote, Sex, and Provincial Vote | Sex | 0.69 (0.53–0.89) |
Perceptions of Cancer Prevention | Model Covariates | Significant Variables | Odds Ratio (95% Confidence Interval) |
Most cancers are preventable | Age, Education, Sex, Health, and Population Centre | – | – |
Cancer prevention only works for young people | Federal Vote, Sex, Household Income, and Provincial Vote | – | – |
Cancer is just bad luck; it is not preventable | Age, Education, Employment, Federal Vote, Sex, Household Income, and Provincial Vote | Federal Vote Centre Federal Vote Left Sex | 0.26 (0.11–0.61) 0.23 (0.08–0.66) 1.76 (1.28–2.40) |
Cancer treatment is more important than prevention | Age, Education, Employment, Federal Vote, Sex, Household Income, and Provincial Vote | Age | 1.01 (1.00–1.02) |
Sex | 1.52 (1.19–1.95) | ||
Most cancers are caused by genetics | Education, Employment, and Health | – | – |
Perceptions of Causes and Responsibility for Chronic Disease Related Factors | Model Covariates | Significant Variables | Odds Ratio (95% Confidence Interval) |
Alcohol problem - Cause is one’s own fault | Education, Federal, Sex, Household Income, Population Centre, and Provincial Vote | Sex | 1.64 (1.29–2.08) |
Alcohol problem - Cause is circumstances beyond one’s control | Education, Federal Vote, Health, Household Income, Population Centre, and Provincial Vote | – | – |
Alcohol problem – Individual’s responsibility to address | Employment, Federal Vote, Sex, Health, Population Centre, and Provincial Vote | – | – |
Alcohol problem – Society’s responsibility to address | Education, Employment, Federal Vote, Household Income, and Provincial Vote | Provincial Vote Left | 3.29 (1.69–6.42) |
Tobacco problem - Cause is one’s own fault | Education, Federal Vote, Sex, Household Income, and Provincial Vote | Federal Vote Centre | 0.47 (0.27–0.83) |
Federal Vote Left | 0.29 (0.15–0.57) | ||
Tobacco problem - Cause is circumstances beyond one’s control | Education, Federal Vote, Health, Household Income, and Provincial Vote | Household Income | 0.65 (0.47–0.89) |
Provincial Vote Centre | 3.67 (1.60–8.39) | ||
Tobacco problem - Individual’s responsibility to address | Education, Federal Vote, Sex, Health, Population Centre, and Provincial Vote | Federal Vote Left | 0.27 (0.11–0.64) |
Tobacco problem - Society’s responsibility | Education, Federal Vote, and Provincial Vote | – | – |
Obesity problem - Cause is one’s own fault | Age, Federal Vote, Sex, Household Size, and Provincial Vote | Age | 0.99 (0.98–0.99) |
Federal Vote Left | 0.46 (0.24–0.88) | ||
Household Size 4+ Persons | 0.57 (0.39–0.83) | ||
Obesity problem - Cause is circumstances beyond one’s control | Federal Vote, Health, Household Income, Household Size, and Provincial Vote | – | – |
Obesity problem - Individual’s responsibility to address | Age, Employment, Federal Vote, Health, and Provincial Vote | Federal Vote Left | 0.33 (0.15–0.73) |
Obesity problem - Society’s responsibility | Education, Federal Vote, and Provincial Vote | Education | 0.66 (0.49–0.88) |