Funding
Cancer
CANCER
C.P.J. and O.J.R. have received financial support in the form of research grants for this work, from the Danish Cancer society (R168-A11066, R190-A11702, R190-A11701, R168-A11065). The funders had no role in the study design, data collection analysis, reporting or writing of the manuscript. C.P.J. and O.J.R. are fully independent from the funders. All authors, external and internal, had full access to all of the data (including statistical reports and tables) in the study and can take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.
Omission of harms/exaggeration of benefits, fear appeals and a combination of the former in addition to pre-booked appointments, relative risk reductions and explicit recommendations to participate significantly increases citizens’ intention to participate in a fictitious medical screening programme.Only a minority of citizens are able to indicate awareness of the influences, and non-awareness is associated with an increased intention to participate.Public Health Authorities must carefully consider the use of (un)intended influences when inviting to screening programmes.There is a need of more knowledge and debate to determine if and under which circumstances the use of such influences are acceptable.