Behavioural and population research
Heading: Behavioural and population researchBehavioural and population research aims to identify the things that influence our chances (or ‘risk’) of getting cancer. If we understand what increases our risk of developing cancer, we should be able to find ways to reduce the risk and prevent cancers from occurring.
Behavioural research looks at how our behaviour can affect our chances of getting cancer. It tries to find out why people behave the way they do, why they sometimes behave in unhealthy ways and what motivates them to adopt more healthy behaviours.
Population research looks at how cancer affects the general population and aims to identify it's causes. This type of research uses large-scale studies that involve thousands of people, and look for patterns, or trends, in the incidence of different cancers. The large number of people involved make it easier to spot the factors that are associated with increased cancer incidence.
By combining behavioural and population research we can develop strategies for preventing cancer and promoting good health. Tobacco use, cancer screening, dietary behaviour and sun protection are some areas that have been investigated by these types of research.
Here’s an example of behavioural and population research:
A 50-year study recently completed by Cancer Research UK and Medical Research Council supported scientists in Oxford has shown that, on average, cigarette smokers die ten years younger than non-smokers.
The study followed nearly 35,000 male British doctors from 1951 to 2001. It also showed that quitting smoking at age 50 halved the risk of death, whereas quitting at age 30 avoided almost all of it.
These results show that all the benefits of increased lifespan gained over the last half century are completely lost by smoking.
Find out about Cancer Research UK's achievements in population research in the 'Our history and achievements' section.
