Health Education Needs: A Survey of Rural Adults in Juniata County, Pennsylvania, 1975. An Interim Report. Rural Health Staff Papers - Paper Number 4.

In June 1975, 62 men and 64 women living on commercial farms in Juniata County, Pennsylvania were interviewed regarding their behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes related to preventing cancer and coronary heart disease. Respondents represented about 22% of all adults living on commercial farms in the county. A commercial farm was defined as one that either sold $10,000 or more produce per year or the operator worked more than half time on the farm. During a face-to-face interview setting, each respondent was asked 137 questions pertaining to: the seriousness and susceptibility of the disease, early detection, their knowledge about the disease, high blood pressure, overweight, and medical services. Each person rated eight selected diseases as to their seriousness and susceptibility. Findings included: cancer was perceived to be the most serious of all eight illnesses with heart disease ranking second; 1/3 of the respondents perceived themselves as either likely or very likely to have heart disease; 30% believed themselves likely to have cancer; all but 5 of the respondents strongly agreed that many types of cancer detected in the early stages could be cured; and 99% of the respondents felt that high blood pressure could be reduced and were aware of 1 or more ways in which this could be accomplished. (NQ)