Cancer
Cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada. About 2 in 5 Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime and 1 in 4 will die from cancer. Many cancers can be prevented through making healthy choices and informed decisions and through public health efforts including policies and environments that are designed to support health.
Our research
Our cancer prevention research includes communication about cancer risks and preventive behaviours, policies to reduce cancer risk at the population level, and environmental design for cancer prevention. Our lab frequently focuses on skin, cervical, and colorectal cancer prevention research.
Current projects
We are currently conducting research on social media and skin cancer prevention information, the impact of graphic warning labels for indoor tanning devices, and social media messaging about cervical cancer screening. Example related publications to date include:
Bravo, C.A., Walker, M.J., Papadopoulos, A., McWhirter, J.E. (2023). Social media use in HPV-, cervical cancer-, and cervical screening-related research: A scoping review. Preventive Medicine. In press.
Gosselin, S., Thaivalappil, A., Papadopoulos, A., & McWhirter, J.E. (2023). Public Health Messaging to Address Indoor Tanning: A Scoping Review. Journal of Health Communication, 1–13.
Gosselin, S., McWhirter, J. E., Mutti-Packer, S., McEwen, S. A., Papadopoulos, A., Rosen, C. F., & Beecker, J. (2022). “I Think There Should Be Photos”: Female Indoor Tanners’ Perceptions of Health Warning Labels for Tanning Beds. Health Communication, 37(11), 1378–1388.
Reimann, J., McWhirter, J. E., Cimino, A., Papadopoulos, A., & Dewey, C. (2019). Impact of legislation on youth indoor tanning behaviour: A systematic review. Preventive Medicine, 123, 299–307.
Gosselin, S., & McWhirter, J. E. (2019). Assessing the content and comprehensiveness of provincial and territorial indoor tanning legislation in Canada. Chronic Diseases and Injuries in Canada, 39(2).