The distinct role of comparative risk perceptions in a breast cancer prevention program.

Background: Comparative risk perceptions may rival other types of information in terms of effects on health behavior decisions.

Purpose: We examined associations between comparative risk perceptions, affect, and behavior while controlling for absolute risk perceptions and actual risk.

Methods: Women at an increased risk of breast cancer participated in a program to learn about tamoxifen which can reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Communicating side effect risks in a tamoxifen prophylaxis decision aid: the debiasing influence of pictographs.

Objective: To experimentally test whether using pictographs (image matrices), incremental risk formats, and varied risk denominators would influence perceptions and comprehension of side effect risks in an online decision aid about prophylactic use of tamoxifen to prevent primary breast cancers.

Methods: We recruited 631 women with elevated breast cancer risk from two healthcare organizations. Participants saw tailored estimates of the risks of 5 side effects: endometrial cancer, blood clotting, cataracts, hormonal symptoms, and sexual problems.