The Role of Thinking Styles in Cancer Prevention Behaviour: A Systematic Review Protocol

Background: Prevention plays a crucial role in reducing the burden of cancer. The European Code Against Cancer (ECAC) is a key component of cancer prevention initiatives, providing 14 recommendations across primary and secondary prevention. Building on the core of secondary prevention, organised cancer screening is effective in reducing cancer-related mortality and in some cases cancer incidence. However, suboptimal screening uptake limits the success of these programmes. Evidence suggests that cognitive factors, such as thinking style, may be useful targets for cancer prevention interventions. The Rational-Experiential Inventory (REI) measures two independent thinking style modes: rational thinking (measured by Need For Cognition - NFC) and experiential thinking (measured by Faith in Intuition - FI). Objective This review aims to synthesise evidence on the influence of thinking styles (measured by REI, NFC, or FI) on cancer prevention behaviour (guided by ECAC) and investigate whether thinking styles differ across sociodemographic factors. Methods and analysis Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a systematic search will be conducted across electronic databases (Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE, MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and CENTRAL). Eligibility criteria are defined using the Population, Exposure, Comparison, and Outcome (PECO) framework and include quantitative, peer-reviewed studies, examining associations between thinking styles and cancer prevention behaviours. Title and abstract screening, data extraction and risk of bias assessment will be performed by two independent reviewers. Extracted data (study and population characteristics, cancer prevention behaviours, thinking styles profiles, conceptual and theoretical frameworks and outcomes) will be reported using narrative synthesis and meta-analysis if appropriate. Conclusion This review aims to inform the evidence base on the role of thinking style in cancer prevention research. The evidence generated from this systematic review will inform the future development of cancer prevention interventions, with the ultimately aim of reducing cancer mortality and incidence.