45 Percent of Americans

Have Looked for 

Cancer Information 

Almost half of all Americans have sought out information on the disease 

and its causes, prevention, and treatment.The charts below illustrate the 

cancer-related information sought by the public and the sources from 

which they seek such information. 

Other health issues 4% 

Prevention 3% 

Prognosis/recovery 2% 

Treatment/cures 9% 

Symptoms/early detection/diagnosis 10% 

Causes/risks 5% 

General cancer information 16% 

Cancer-specific information 51% 

Books 

Brochures 

Family/Friends 

HC Provider 

Internet 

Library 

Magazines 

Other 

briefs

The most recent time you looked for information on cancer... 

Actual and Preferred Sources 

of Cancer Information 

There are striking differences between where people say they 

would go (preferred) for health information and where they 

actually went for health information when asked about their last 

search. For example, while nearly 50% of Americans report that 

they would go to their health care provider for health 

information, only 11% actually sought information from a health 

care provider during their last search. 

Where did you go first? 

80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Age 18 to 34 

Age 35 to 64 

Age 65 + 

Where would you go first? 

Actual and preferred sources of cancer information 

Actual Preferred 

0% 

10% 

20% 

30% 

40% 

50% 

InternetHealth Care ProviderPrint MediaOther 

Quick Facts: 

• 132 million Americans are online. 

• Almost 64% of the online population has searched for health 

information on the Internet. 

• Health care providers are the most trusted health information source 

among Americans. 

• Radio is the least trusted health information source among Americans. 

Considerations in Using HINTS Data 

• The National Cancer Institute (NCI) fielded the first 

Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 2003) 

in 2002 and 2003, surveying 6,369 Americans. 

• Respondents were contacted via telephone random 

digit-dialing. 

• Most respondents were White (75.9%), age 40 or older 

(63.0%), and female (60.4%) [unweighted sample percentages]. 

http://hints.cancer.gov NUMBER 1 

In this HINTS Brief, we explore patterns of health and cancer information-seeking among the 

American public and highlight the ways in which information seeking differs by age, race, and gender. 
Health Information Seeking Preference 

and Practice: Differences by Age, 

Gender, and Race 

Age 

The percentage of information seekers increases with age for all sources 

of information except the Internet.When asked about use of the Internet 

to search for health information, the percentage of respondents decreases 

with age.That is, younger people tend to use the Internet the most for 

health information, while older people tend to seek health information 

from sources such as health care providers or books. 

When seeking health information, more than 80% of people say they 

choose to use health care providers and the Internet first.These 

preferences vary among age groups, with older Americans (65 years and 

older) being almost ten times more likely to say they prefer going to health 

care providers first before going to the Internet (75.6% vs. 7.7%). People 

aged 18-34 and 35-64 are almost equally split between providers and the 

Internet, saying that the Internet would be their first choice for health 

information (38.9% vs. 46.6%). 

Across all ages, the number of people who first went to the Internet 

exceeded the number who first went to health care providers.Among 

older Americans, 21.4% reported going to the Internet first compared with 

20.9% who reported going to health care providers first. People aged 18-24 

were almost nine times as likely to go to the Internet first (61% vs. 7%). 

Gender 

HINTS data indicate that more women than men seek information about 

cancer from sources other than the Internet (e.g., health care providers, 

magazines, books).When men seek information about cancer, a greater 

percentage of them look to the Internet compared with women. 

Race/Ethnicity 

Compared with all other racial and ethnic groups, a higher percentage of 

Hispanics seek information from health care providers and friends or 

family, and a higher percentage of African Americans seek information from 

printed materials. More Whites and non-Hispanic others (Asians, Native 

Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders,American Indians,Alaskan Natives, and people 

who named multiple races) look to the Internet for health information. 

Percentage of Americans who sought cancer 

information: Differences by age, gender, and race Other, multiracial White Black, non-Hispanic Hispanic , non-Hispanic 18 - 34 35 - 64 65+ Female Male 

0% 

10% 

20% 

30% 

40% 

50% 

60% 

70% 

80% 

Age Gender Ethnicity 

How Can These Data Inform 

Your Work? 

It is clear from these data that Americans are actively engaged 

in seeking health information. Key preferences for health 

information that may have implications for your work include: 

• Increasingly,Americans are looking to the Internet. 

• For African Americans, print is still a preferred source. 

• Health professionals remain the most trusted source, 

particularly for older Americans and Hispanics. 

These data suggest the need for targeted planning efforts, 

including formative research. One application might be to 

disseminate screening messages for older Americans through 

health care providers.An alternative would be to feature 

providers in photographs, quotes, or public service 

announcements in print or other media. For younger adults, 

it may be more effective to disseminate information or collect 

formative data via the Internet. Finally, it is always important 

to consider that variation in information preferences may still 

exist.Therefore, it is beneficial to (1) know your audience and 

(2) implement multiple strategies for maximum impact— 

particularly when seeking to reach diverse audiences. 

For more expanded information on specific health informationseeking behaviors from HINTS visit http://hints.cancer.gov to 

view abstracts, datasets, and presentations. 

About HINTS 

HINTS was created to monitor changes in the rapidly-evolving field of health communication.The survey data can be used to understand how 

adults 18 years and older use different communication channels to obtain health information for themselves and their loved ones, and to create 

more effective health communication strategies across populations. 

HINTS Briefs provide a snapshot of noteworthy, data-driven research findings.They introduce population-level estimates for specific questions in 

the survey and summarize significant research findings that are a result of analyzing how age, race, and gender influence specific outcomes. 

For More Information on Cancer 

• Call the NCI Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER 

(1-800-422-6237) 

• Visit http://cancer.gov 

• Order NCI publications at http://www.cancer.gov/publications 

References used in this HINTS Brief 

Finney Rutten L.J., Squiers, LB, Hesse, B. Cancer Related Information Needs: Hints from the
 

Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS). Journal of Health Communication.
 

(In press).
 

Hesse BW, Nelson DE, Kreps GL, Croyle RT,Arora NK, Rimer BK,Viswanath K.Trust and
 

Sources of Health Information:The Impact of the Internet and Its Implications for Health Care
 

Providers. Archives of Internal Medicine. (In press).
 

Nelson DE, Kreps GL, Hesse BW, Croyle RT,Willis G,Arora NK, Rimer BK,Viswanath KV,
 

Weinstein N,Alden S.The Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS): Development,
 

Design, and Dissemination. Journal of Health Communication. 2004 Sep-Oct;9(5):443-60.
 

Viswanath K, Breen N, Steele WR, Meissner W, Moser R, Rakowski W, Hesse B. Cancer
 

Knowledge and Disparities in the Information Age. Journal of Health Communication. (In press).
 

Last Updated 

December 2005