Defensive information processing and nonadherence to health‐protective behaviors

Abstract

Plain language summary In this issue of Cancer, Clarke et al. measure defensive information processing (DIP) to avoid fecal immunochemical testing for colorectal cancer. DIP is a way of reducing the negative psychological effects of threats such as cancer and may influence health‐protective behaviors such as the completion of recommended cancer screening. This editorial complements Clarke et al.’s study with a discussion of interventions for decreasing DIP around cancer screening and other health‐protective recommendations.