Cancer screening represents one of the most effective tools to contrast cancer, as well as to limit its social and economic costs. For these reasons, in the last decades, national governments and health institutions have invested substantial resources to develop and support organized, population-based, cancer screening programs. While there is no doubt about the social relevance and efficacy of cancer screening programs worldwide, policy-makers are struggling to extend their coverage over the eligible population. In order to achieve this important social goal, a variety of institutional interventions have been designed and implemented, spanning from those aimed at stimulating the uptake of vulnerable categories of patients, to novel strategies to limit the impact of behavioral biases that ultimately discourage participation.
The present special issue aims to collect novel scientific contributions that focus on the determinants of participation of the eligible population in cancer screening programs. Specifically, we are interested in theoretical and empirical studies that analyze the efficacy of alternative institutional interventions designed to promote cancer screening programs. In this vein, we welcome studies that apply a holistic and transdisciplinary approach and cover topics that include (although are not limited to) communication campaigns to enhance population awareness about cancer screening, new means to collect sample specimens, ICT interventions (including apps and websites) to simplify participation in the screening programs, policies aimed at reducing the social gradient in the diffusion of preventive health behaviors, the psychological determinants (and barriers) of undertaking cancer screening.
Themes of interest for the special issue include:
1. Theoretical and empirical contributions focusing on socio-economic factors and psychological biases that limit participation in organized cancer screening programs;
2. Results of field experiments and RCTs testing the efficacy of institutional interventions in the domain of cancer screening;
3. Results of laboratory and survey experiments on psychological determinants of screening and, more in general, health behaviors;
4. Novel analysis of representative socio-economic datasets providing insight on factors that are related to cancer screening;
5. Systematic reviews on the socio-economic and psychological studies related to cancer screening.
We welcome both standard (>8000 words) and short (<5000 words) papers that make a clear contribution in the domain of cancer screening and can be of interest for a general readership in social sciences (economics, psychology, sociology, neuroscience).
Keywords:
Behavioral Cancer Screening, preventive medicine, promotion of health behaviors, cognitive and evaluative biases in health behaviors, field and laboratory studies.
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
Cancer screening represents one of the most effective tools to contrast cancer, as well as to limit its social and economic costs. For these reasons, in the last decades, national governments and health institutions have invested substantial resources to develop and support organized, population-based, cancer screening programs. While there is no doubt about the social relevance and efficacy of cancer screening programs worldwide, policy-makers are struggling to extend their coverage over the eligible population. In order to achieve this important social goal, a variety of institutional interventions have been designed and implemented, spanning from those aimed at stimulating the uptake of vulnerable categories of patients, to novel strategies to limit the impact of behavioral biases that ultimately discourage participation.
The present special issue aims to collect novel scientific contributions that focus on the determinants of participation of the eligible population in cancer screening programs. Specifically, we are interested in theoretical and empirical studies that analyze the efficacy of alternative institutional interventions designed to promote cancer screening programs. In this vein, we welcome studies that apply a holistic and transdisciplinary approach and cover topics that include (although are not limited to) communication campaigns to enhance population awareness about cancer screening, new means to collect sample specimens, ICT interventions (including apps and websites) to simplify participation in the screening programs, policies aimed at reducing the social gradient in the diffusion of preventive health behaviors, the psychological determinants (and barriers) of undertaking cancer screening.
Themes of interest for the special issue include:
1. Theoretical and empirical contributions focusing on socio-economic factors and psychological biases that limit participation in organized cancer screening programs;
2. Results of field experiments and RCTs testing the efficacy of institutional interventions in the domain of cancer screening;
3. Results of laboratory and survey experiments on psychological determinants of screening and, more in general, health behaviors;
4. Novel analysis of representative socio-economic datasets providing insight on factors that are related to cancer screening;
5. Systematic reviews on the socio-economic and psychological studies related to cancer screening.
We welcome both standard (>8000 words) and short (<5000 words) papers that make a clear contribution in the domain of cancer screening and can be of interest for a general readership in social sciences (economics, psychology, sociology, neuroscience).
Keywords:
Behavioral Cancer Screening, preventive medicine, promotion of health behaviors, cognitive and evaluative biases in health behaviors, field and laboratory studies.
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.