Colorectal cancer (CRC) is no laughing matter. It's the second-leading cause of cancer deaths globally, according to the World Health Organization. But new research led by the University at Buffalo suggests that humor can be an effective mechanism for reaching people who otherwise avoid information about colorectal cancer screening or other health messaging.
The research, published online ahead of print in the British Journal of Health Psychology , found that in people who demonstrated a tendency to avoid information about colorectal cancer exposure to humorous comic strip cartoons made them more likely to agree to be directed to an online quiz to assess their personal risk for colorectal cancer. A second study found that similar exposure made them more likely to choose to watch a short video about colorectal cancer. Health information avoidance is a defensive process people use to shield themselves from thinking about threatening ideas, such as the possibility of having cancer, or information that may require unwanted behavior changes, such as eating a healthier diet.
It can take the form of avoiding seeking out health information altogether, avoiding exposure to information, or delaying obtaining information such as putting off scheduling a colonoscopy. We were surprised to learn that simply exposing people to funny content, in this case having people rate comics, could reduce information avoidance." Heather Orom, PhD, study's lead author, associate professor in the Departm.