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population health. Cancer communication has played a 

key role in reducing the nation’s cancer burden, through 

efforts to promote screening, smoking cessation, sun 

safety, and healthy diets.The strategic use of 

communication to improve health outcomes is identified 

as a program goal in Healthy People 2010 and is central 

to several of the National Cancer Institute’s strategic 

plans for reducing the burden of cancer. 

The Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 

provides a means to systematically evaluate the public’s 

cancer-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. 

Results from HINTS 2003 and 2005 reveal that 

Americans are indeed seeking information about cancer. 

In 2003, 45% of respondents reported that they had ever 

sought cancer information; this number was slightly 

higher in 2005, with 49% of respondents reporting that 

they had ever sought cancer information. 

In this HINTS Brief, we highlight findings from Cancer 

Communication, a comprehensive U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services (DHHS) report on data 

from HINTS 2003 and HINTS 2005, which explores 

processes and outcomes related to cancer 

communication. Specifically, this Brief focuses on the 

cancer information seeking behaviors and experiences 

reported by the U.S. population. 

information) is delivered or placed where the audience can a

Placement varies according to audience, message complexity, 

ranging from interpersonal and social networks to billboards 

transit signs to prime-time TV or radio, to public kiosks (prin

electronic), to the Internet. 

• Balance: Where appropriate, the content presents the bene

potential actions or recognizes different and valid perspective

• Consistency: The content remains internally consistent ove

also consistent with information from other sources (the latt

problem when other widely available content is not accurate 

• Cultural competence: The design, implementation, and eva

process that accounts for special issues for select population 

(for example, ethnic, racial and linguistic) and also educationa

and disability. 

• Evidence base: Relevant scientific evidence that has underg

comprehensive review and rigorous analysis to formulate pra

guidelines, performance measures, review criteria, and techno

assessments for telehealth applications. 

• Reach: The content gets to or is available to the largest pos

of people in the target population. 

• Reliability: The source of the content is credible, and the co

kept up to date. 

• Repetition: The delivery of/access to the content is contin

repeated over time, both to reinforce the impact with a given 

to reach new generations. 

• Timeliness: The content is provided or available when the a

most receptive to, or in need of, the specific information. 

• Understandability: The reading or language level and form

multimedia) are appropriate for the specific audience. 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Healthy People 2010 Initiative 

Cancer Communication: Health Information 

National Trends Survey, 2003 and 2005 

The focus of the recent DHHS Cancer Communication report is on the American public’s use

of health information; Internet usage for health; information seeking about cancer; perceptions 

of barriers to cancer information seeking; evaluation of information efficacy, recognition, and 

use of cancer information sources; and cancer knowledge. Key findings from the report include

population estimates of trust in sources of health or medical information and ratings of health 

information seeking experiences. Health care professionals were most frequently identified as 

the most trusted source of information in both 2003 (62.4%) and 2005 (67.2%). In addition, in 

2003, 23.9% of respondents reported “a lot” of trust in health information from the Internet, 

while this number was somewhat lower in 2005 (18.9%). 

Trust in Sources of Information (2003 

How much would you trust information about h

topics from ____________? Would you say a lot

or not at all? 

75 

65 

55 

45 

35 

25 

15 

5 2003 

Survey Year 

n Health Care Professional n Internet n TV 

n Magazine n Newspaper n Radio % of Respondents Who Trust Source “A Lot” 

(See HINTS on back) 

In this HINTS Brief, we highlight findings from Cancer Communication, a comprehensive U.S. D

of Health and Human Services (DHHS) report on data from HINTS 2003 and HINTS 2
% of Respondents Who “Strongl

or “Somewhat Agreed” 

60 

50 

40 

30 

20 

10 

0 2003 2005 

Survey Year 

n It took a lot of effort n Felt frustrated during your search 

n Concerned about the quality of the information n Information was hard to understand 

in 2003 (49.0%) and 2005 (54.6%). Informatio

lowest among Hispanic respondents in 2003 (

2005 (25.1%). In 2003, 40.8% of Black, non-His

respondents sought cancer information; in 200

Black, non-Hispanic respondents sought cance

In 2003, 46.6% of respondents classified as no

“other” sought cancer information; in 2005, 49

respondents classified as non-Hispanic “other” 

information. 

Gender 

Cancer information seeking varied significantly 

2003 and 2005. Females reported having ever 

information more frequently than males in 20

2003, 53.1% of females and 36.1% of males so

information; in 2005, 55.4% of females and 41.

sought cancer information. 

How Can This Inform Your Work? 

The mounting prominence and importance of health communication, coupled with rapid changes in communication technology, underscore the 

of HINTS data. Practitioners, researchers, and policy makers in many disciplines and practice settings may use HINTS data to support their wo

• Survey researchers can use the data to understand how adults use 

different communication channels to obtain health and cancer information. 

• Program planners can use the data to discern barriers to health 

information usage across populations, and to inform more effective 

communication strategies. 

• Social scientists can use the data to refine theories of health 

communication in the information age, and to offer data-dri

recommendations to reduce the cancer burden. 

About H

http://hints.c

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) fielded the first Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) in 2002 and 

2003, surveying 6,369 Americans.The second survey was fielded in 2005, surveying 5,586 Americans. 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 o

different communication channels to obtain health information for themselves and their loved ones, and to create more effective health com

strategies across populations. 

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

and summarize significant research findings that are a result of analyzing how sociodemographic variables influence specific outcomes.The Br

intended to highlight top-level findings derived from analyses reported in other venues, and are not meant to be comprehensive reports. 

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

Hiatt RA, Rimer BK.A new strategy for cancer control research. Cancer Epide

1999 Nov;8(11):957-64. 

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

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

dissemination. J Health Commun. 2004 Sep-Oct;9(5):443-60; discussion 81-4. 

Viswanath K. Science and society: the communications revolution and cancer c

Cancer. 2005 Oct;5(10):828-35. 

Rutten LF, Moser RP, Beckjord EB, Hesse BW, Croyle RT. Cancer Communica

National Trends Survey. National Cancer Institute. NIH Pub. No. 07-6214. Beth

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy People 2010. 2nd ed

and Improving Health and Objectives for Improving Health. 2 vols.Washington

August 2007 Printing Office, November 2000.