Weighing the risks: A national survey of public attitudes toward cancer and cancer screening during the COVID-19 pandemic

The proposed project consists of a national survey designed to assess how the general public perceives and weighs the risks of 1) COVID-19, 2) cancer, and 3) recommended screening tests for breast, colorectal, and lung cancer). The ultimate goal of the study is to better understand the extent to which fear of COVID-19 inhibits cancer screening, particularly among residents of rural communities, and to generate evidence that can be used to develop interventions (e.g., public messaging campaigns, outreach programs) to overcome this fear and to increase cancer screening. The study population will consist of a national sample of adults aged 50 and older, who belong to a professionally managed Web survey panel (Qualtrics™), which is widely used in market and scientific research, and enables extremely rapid data collection from large samples of the US population.