Malhotra Chetna, Bilger Marcel, Liu Joy, Finkelstein Eric
Lien Centre for Palliative Care, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore E-mail :
Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2016;17(8):3887-95.
In order to increase breast and cervical cancer screening uptake in Singapore, women's perceived barriers to screening need to be identified and overcome. Using data from both focus groups and surveys, we aimed to assess perceived barriers and motivations for breast and cervical cancer screening.
We conducted 8 focus groups with 64 women, using thematic analysis to identify overarching themes related to women's attitudes towards screening. Based on recurring themes from focus groups, several hypotheses regarding potential barriers and motivations to screen were generated and tested through a national survey of 801 women aged 25-64.
Focus group participants had misconceptions related to screening, believing that the procedures were painful. Cost was an issue, as well as efficacy and fatalism.
By identifying barriers to and motivators for screening through a mixed-method design that has both nuance and external validity, this study offers valuable suggestions to policymakers to improve breast and cervical cancer screening uptake in Singapore.
为了提高新加坡乳腺癌和宫颈癌筛查的参与率，需要识别并克服女性在筛查方面所感知到的障碍。利用焦点小组和调查的数据，我们旨在评估乳腺癌和宫颈癌筛查的感知障碍及动机。
我们与64名女性进行了8次焦点小组讨论，采用主题分析来确定与女性对筛查态度相关的总体主题。基于焦点小组中反复出现的主题，我们提出了几个关于筛查潜在障碍和动机的假设，并通过对801名年龄在25至64岁之间的女性进行全国性调查来进行检验。
焦点小组参与者对筛查存在误解，认为检查过程很痛苦。成本是一个问题，疗效和宿命论也是如此。
通过采用兼具细微差别和外部有效性的混合方法设计来识别筛查的障碍和动机，本研究为政策制定者提供了有价值的建议，以提高新加坡乳腺癌和宫颈癌筛查的参与率。
