Oshiro Mariko, Kamizato Midori
Department of Nursing, Okinawa Prefectural College of Nursing, Naha, Japan.
Jpn J Nurs Sci. 2018 Jan;15(1):67-76. doi: 10.1111/jjns.12173. Epub 2017 May 23.
To identify the influencing factors in help-seeking behavior by comparing delayers with non-delayers in Japanese female patients with breast cancer.
This is a descriptive qualitative study. A total of 21 female patients with breast cancer (nine delayers and 12 non-delayers) who were at least 3 months to 5 years postdiagnosis were recruited from two hospitals in Okinawa, Japan. Semistructured interviews were carried out and the results were analyzed by using a qualitative inductive approach.
The comparison between the delayers and non-delayers showed eight barriers to help-seeking behavior that were unique to the delayers: (i) the appearance of symptoms that cannot be definitely linked to breast cancer; (ii) anxiety and fear; (iii) the necessity to prioritize the immediate needs of daily life; (iv) non-disclosure of the situation; (v) the view that medical care is a nuisance; (vi) a desire to surrender to the natural course of things; (vii) confidence that they would not develop cancer; and (viii) inaccessibility of medical facilities. A common trigger for help-seeking that was identified in both the delayers and the non-delayers was the presence of other persons who encouraged seeking a provider evaluation.
The barriers to help-seeking that were found in this study (namely, the emotional reaction and difficult living conditions) are common worldwide. The Japanese patients with breast cancer in the sample tended to emphasize their relationship with family and friends in their help-seeking behavior, which is a common content in Japanese and other Asian cultures. Therefore, health professionals should assess the social conditions of their patients.
通过比较日本乳腺癌女性患者中延迟就医者和未延迟就医者，确定影响寻求帮助行为的因素。
这是一项描述性定性研究。从日本冲绳的两家医院招募了21名乳腺癌女性患者（9名延迟就医者和12名未延迟就医者），她们均处于确诊后至少3个月至5年。进行了半结构化访谈，并采用定性归纳法对结果进行分析。
延迟就医者和未延迟就医者的比较显示，延迟就医者存在8个寻求帮助行为的障碍：（i）出现无法明确与乳腺癌相关的症状；（ii）焦虑和恐惧；（iii）需要优先考虑日常生活的迫切需求；（iv）不透露病情；（v）认为医疗护理麻烦；（vi）希望听天由命；（vii）相信自己不会患癌症；（viii）医疗设施不便。延迟就医者和未延迟就医者中都确定的一个寻求帮助的共同触发因素是有其他人鼓励寻求医疗评估。
本研究中发现的寻求帮助的障碍（即情绪反应和艰难的生活条件）在全球都很常见。样本中的日本乳腺癌患者在寻求帮助行为中倾向于强调他们与家人和朋友的关系，这在日本和其他亚洲文化中是常见内容。因此，卫生专业人员应评估患者的社会状况。
