Non-Hispanics 

83% of Spanish-speaking Hispanics have never looked 

for cancer information 

Differences in cancer information seeking and information 

access have the potential to shape health knowledge, attitudes, 

behaviors, and medical decisions, and may contribute to 

disparities in health outcomes among disadvantaged populations. 

HINTS 2005 data reveal that information seeking among 

Hispanics is low, and it differs according to English fluency; 

37% of English-speaking Hispanics and 17% of Spanish-speaking 

Hispanics say they have ever looked for information about 

cancer, compared with 52% of non-Hispanics. 

Hispanics, and particularly Spanish-speaking Hispanics, may 

experience multiple challenges and barriers in seeking and 

interpreting cancer information and in making informed 

decisions about their health. In this HINTS Brief, we explore 

the experience of cancer information seeking among Hispanic 

respondents to HINTS 2005. 

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

52% 

17% 

Non-Hispanics 

English-speaking 

Hispanics 

Spanish-speaking 

Hispanics 

Percentage of HINTS 2005 respondents

who have looked for cancer information

37% 

Information Seek

While the majority of Hispanic respondents to HIN

reported never seeking cancer information from a

those who sought cancer information experienced 

with their search. 

Hispanics reported low confidence in their ability t

cancer information. Close to 30% of Spanish-speak

had little to no confidence in their ability to obtain 

information compared to 6% of non-Hispanics and 

English-speaking Hispanics. 

Among Spanish-speaking Hispanics, 67% said their 

cancer information took a lot of effort, 55% said th

was hard to understand, and 58% had concerns ab

of the information they found. Among English-speak

the information-seeking experience was slightly bet

saying their last search took a lot of effort, 25% say

information was hard to understand, and 60% havin

about the quality of information they found. 

Non-Hispanics reported more favorable ratings of 

information-seeking experiences than Hispanics: 35

that their last search took a lot of effort; 22% repo

information was hard to understand, and 46% repo

about information quality. 

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Sp

English-speaking 

Hispanics 

Non-Hispanics 

Search for information 

took a lot of effort 

Information was 

hard to understand 

Con

quality 

35% 

46% 

22% 

43% 

25% 

60% 

6

Percentage of HINTS 2005 respondents 

Cancer Information-Seeking Experiences among Hispanics in the United States 
How Can This Inform Your Work? 

English fluency is one of many factors that influence Hispanics’ 

interactions with the U.S. health care system. Spanish-speaking 

Hispanics may encounter barriers to accessing the abundant 

supply of primarily English-language cancer-prevention and 

treatment information. Health communication practitioners are 

uniquely positioned to address language barriers in order to 

promote cancer knowledge, beliefs, screening, and treatment 

options among Hispanics. 

Please note that online usage patterns continue to evolve. 

Additional research into the value and effectiveness of using 

the Web as a channel for information is recommended as you 

design outreach programs. 

• In order to increase information seeking among this 

consider outreach efforts to promote utilization o

language-appropriate cancer information resource

• In addition to translating traditional information so

as print materials, consider utilizing interpersonal 

communication (i.e., healthcare providers, family, a

for outreach to Hispanics. 

• Assess whether the Internet is an appropriate cha

reach your target audience.When it comes to Inte

only 21% of the Spanish-speaking population said t

online compared with 66% Non-Hispanics and 58

English-speaking Hispanics. 

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) fielded the first Health Information National Trends Survey 

(HINTS) in 2002 and 2003, surveying 6,369 Americans. Subsequent surveys followed in 2005 (5,586 Americans surv

2007 (7,674 Americans surveyed). HINTS was created to monitor changes in the rapidly evolving field of health com

The survey data can be used to understand how adults use different communication channels to obtain health infor

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 estim

specific questions in the survey and summarize significant research findings that are a result of analyzing how certai

demographic characteristics influence specific outcomes. Many Briefs summarize research findings from recent peer-

journal articles using HINTS data. 

NCI continues to assess and respond to the unique cancer information needs of Hispanics. Current NCI efforts to 

access to and use of cancer information by this population include the availability of culturally and linguistically appr

resources such as Spanish-language print publications and materials available online at NCI's Spanish Web site 

(http://www.cancer.gov/espanol). In addition, NCI's Cancer Information Service (1-800-4-CANCER) can provide call

information in Spanish. 

About H

http://hints.c

For More Information on Cancer 

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

(1-800-422-6237) 

• Visit http://cancer.gov and http://www.cancer.gov/espanol 

• Order NCI publications at https://cissecure.nci.nih.gov/ncipubs/ 

References Used in This HINTS Brief 

American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures for Hi

2006-2008.Atlanta:American Cancer Society, 2007. 

Huerta EE. Cancer statistics for Hispanics, 2003: good ne

and the need for a health system paradigm change. CA C

2003; 53(4): 205-207. 

Vanderpool RC, Kornfeld J, Finney Rutten L, Squiers L. C

information-seeking experiences: the implications of Hisp

and Spanish language. J Cancer Educ. (In Press). January 2009