Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS.gov)

Abstract

As an initiative of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) is a recurring, cross-sectional national survey to assess how adults in the United States access and use health information, their perceptions of health risk, and their participation in health-promoting or health-risking behaviors with an emphasis on cancer-related topics. The HINTS website (<https://hints.cancer.gov>) gives free public access to all HINTS survey materials, data, and analyses. HINTS data can be used to inform the design and evaluation of cancer control and other health related communication programs, and serve as a starting point for further independent research. This article provides an overview of the resources available at (<https://hints.cancer.gov>) and suggests factors to bear in mind while navigating the site.

Keywords: Cancer control; health communication; health literacy; online databases; population health; review.