Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman.
College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman.
J Cancer Educ. 2020 Oct;35(5):1002-1010. doi: 10.1007/s13187-019-01556-9.
Prostate cancer is ranked as the fourth most prevalent cancer in the world and the second most common cancer affecting men. In Oman, prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers among men, with the majority of prostate cancer patients presenting in the more advanced stages of the disease. Public awareness of the risk factors, symptoms and emphasising the importance of seeking early medical attention could help to improve the outcomes and survival rates of prostate cancer patients. The aim of this study is to determine the awareness levels of the risk factors, symptoms and barriers to seeking early medical intervention among adult Omani men. A validated questionnaire measuring the knowledge of risk factors, symptoms and barriers to seeking early medical help was used to collect data from adult Omani men attending a teaching hospital in Muscat, Oman. Out of 720 men who were invited, 600 participated in the study (response rate = 83%). The most recognised risk factor was obesity (366; 61.0%), and the least was sexually transmitted diseases (204; 34.0%); the most recognised symptom was unexplained weight loss (26.5%), the least was changes in seminal fluid (13.3%); the most common barrier to seeking early intervention was "not trusting the medical knowledge of the doctors" (57.5%), the least was "difficulty in arranging transport" (19.5%). Age, education level, marital status and family history of cancer were significantly associated with the participants' knowledge of prostate cancer. Participants received a significant part of their prostate cancer awareness via the social media. National awareness campaigns using social media and information leaflets are needed to educate Omani men on prostate cancer awareness and prevention and to increase trust in the expertise of medical professionals. Further research exploring the barriers to seeking early medical intervention is needed.
前列腺癌是全球第四大常见癌症，也是男性第二大常见癌症。在阿曼，前列腺癌是男性中最常见的癌症之一，大多数前列腺癌患者在疾病的晚期出现。提高公众对风险因素、症状的认识，并强调早期就医的重要性，有助于改善前列腺癌患者的预后和生存率。本研究旨在确定成年阿曼男性对风险因素、症状和寻求早期医疗干预障碍的认知水平。采用经过验证的问卷来测量对风险因素、症状和寻求早期医疗帮助障碍的了解程度，从在阿曼首都马斯喀特的一家教学医院就诊的成年阿曼男性中收集数据。在邀请的 720 名男性中，有 600 名（回应率为 83%）参与了这项研究。最被认可的风险因素是肥胖（366 人；61.0%），最少被认可的是性传播疾病（204 人；34.0%）；最被认可的症状是不明原因的体重减轻（26.5%），最少的是精液变化（13.3%）；寻求早期干预的最常见障碍是“不相信医生的医学知识”（57.5%），最少的是“难以安排交通”（19.5%）。年龄、教育程度、婚姻状况和癌症家族史与参与者对前列腺癌的认知显著相关。参与者通过社交媒体获得了相当一部分的前列腺癌知识。需要利用社交媒体和信息传单开展全国性的提高认识运动，对阿曼男性进行前列腺癌的防治知识教育，并增强他们对医学专业人员专业知识的信任。需要进一步研究寻求早期医疗干预的障碍。
