1 Priority Research Centre for Health Behaviour, Faculty of Health, The University of Newcastle & Hunter Medical Research Institute, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia.
2 Division of Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
Cancer Control. 2019 Jan-Dec;26(1):1073274819863786. doi: 10.1177/1073274819863786.
Accurate public perceptions on the risk factors associated with cancer are important in promoting primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. Limited studies have explored this topic among patients with cancer in non-western, low-to-middle-income countries. A cross-sectional survey to compare Australian and Vietnamese cancer patients' perceptions of what caused their cancer was undertaken. Adult, patients with cancer from both countries, receiving radiotherapy treatment completed a standardized survey, which included a 25-item module assessing their beliefs on the causes of their cancer. Items ranged from known evidence-based causes (eg, smoking, sun exposure) to non-evidence-based beliefs (eg, stress or anxiety, physical injury, or trauma). Country-specific logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify differences in the determinants of patients' top perceived causes. A total of 585 patient surveys were completed (75% response rate; 285 from Australia, and 300 from Vietnam). Most patients were male (58%) and aged 60 years and older (55%). The most frequently reported risk factor overall and for the Australian sample was "getting older" (overall = 42%, Australia = 49%, and Vietnam = 35%). While the most frequently reported risk factor for the Vietnamese sample was "poor diet" (overall = 39%, Australia = 11%, and Vietnam = 64%). There were differences in the characteristics associated with the top causes of cancer identified by Australian and Vietnamese patients. Patients' beliefs about what may have caused their cancer are complex and likely to be impacted by multiple factors, including the country from which they reside. Developing public awareness campaigns that are accurate and tailored to address the specific beliefs and possible misconceptions held by the target community are needed.
准确的公众对癌症相关风险因素的认知对于促进癌症的一级、二级和三级预防至关重要。在非西方、中低收入国家，针对癌症患者的这一主题的研究有限。本研究开展了一项横断面调查，旨在比较澳大利亚和越南癌症患者对导致自身癌症原因的认知。来自两国、正在接受放疗的成年癌症患者完成了一项标准化调查，其中包括一个评估他们对癌症病因看法的 25 项条目模块。这些条目从已知的基于证据的病因（如吸烟、暴露于阳光下）到非基于证据的信念（如压力或焦虑、身体损伤或创伤）不等。针对国家特定的逻辑回归分析，以确定患者对癌症主要认知原因的决定因素的差异。共完成了 585 份患者调查（75%的回复率；285 份来自澳大利亚，300 份来自越南）。大多数患者为男性（58%），年龄在 60 岁及以上（55%）。总体而言以及在澳大利亚患者样本中，报告频率最高的风险因素是“变老”（总体 = 42%，澳大利亚 = 49%，越南 = 35%）。而在越南患者样本中，报告频率最高的风险因素是“不良饮食”（总体 = 39%，澳大利亚 = 11%，越南 = 64%）。澳大利亚和越南患者确定的癌症主要病因的相关特征存在差异。患者对可能导致自身癌症的原因的信念是复杂的，可能受到多种因素的影响，包括他们居住的国家。需要制定准确的公众意识宣传活动，以针对目标社区的具体信念和可能的误解进行量身定制。
