Kazaura Methods R, Kombe Dominista, Yuma Safina, Mtiro Hussein, Mlawa Genoveva
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Social Sciences, Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
East Afr J Public Health. 2007 Apr;4(1):19-22.
To characterize cancer patients and to determine the associated health seeking behaviours.
Between September 2005 and February 2006, we collected data using structured and semi-structured interviews among new cancer patients attending the ORCI. Findings are summarized using univarite and bivariate analyses.
There were 330 cancer patients during the study period. The mean age was 48 (SD = 13.5) years ranging between 21 and 84 years. The majority, 205 (62.1%), were females. More than two thirds of all patients, that is 225 (68.2%), presented at the ORCI at advanced stages of disease. Many patients reported to have neither heard, 193 (58.5%), nor to know cancer symptoms, 203 (61.5%). Only 185 (56.1%) of all patients reported their willingness to disclose and a freedom to talk about the disease. Risk factors for cancer staging were sex, patient's education status, awareness and knowledge of disease symptoms.
Interventions targeted to improve health care seeking behaviour among cancer patients need to include health education and sensitization specifically of cancer disease, establish a strong referral mechanisms at primary health level and to start a population cancer registry for monitoring and evaluation purposes.
对癌症患者进行特征描述，并确定与之相关的求医行为。
在2005年9月至2006年2月期间，我们通过对前往ORCI就诊的新癌症患者进行结构化和半结构化访谈来收集数据。研究结果采用单变量和双变量分析进行总结。
研究期间共有330名癌症患者。平均年龄为48岁（标准差=13.5），年龄范围在21岁至84岁之间。大多数患者，即205名（62.1%）为女性。超过三分之二的患者，即225名（68.2%）在疾病晚期才前往ORCI就诊。许多患者报告既未听说过，193名（58.5%），也不知道癌症症状，203名（61.5%）。所有患者中只有185名（56.1%）表示愿意披露病情并有谈论该疾病的自由。癌症分期的风险因素包括性别、患者的教育程度、对疾病症状的知晓情况。
旨在改善癌症患者求医行为的干预措施需要包括针对癌症疾病的健康教育和宣传，在初级卫生保健层面建立强大的转诊机制，并启动一个人口癌症登记系统用于监测和评估。
