Cancer Council Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Centre for Health Research, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, Queensland, Australia.
Psychooncology. 2021 Jul;30(7):1068-1076. doi: 10.1002/pon.5643. Epub 2021 Feb 23.
To measure rates of detection via screening, perceived self-imposed delays in seeking medical attention, and support seeking in a sample of regional and remote people with a cancer diagnosis and to test whether an association exists between these behaviours and minimising problems and resignation, a need for self-control and reliance and fatalism. Correlations and binary logistic regressions were conducted to test the associations between demographic characteristics, attitudes and behaviours.
Females were more likely to have had their cancer detected via screening (OR = 10.02, CI = 3.49-28.78). Younger participants (r = -0.103, p = 0.009) were slightly more likely to seek at least one form of support and online support was sought more often by younger patients (r = -0.269, p < 0.001), females (r = 0.152, p < 0.001), those from higher socio-economic (SES) areas (r = 0.100, p = 0.012), and those with higher education levels (r = 0.247, p < 0.001). Younger (r = -0.161, p < 0.001), and female (r = 0.82, p = 0.013), participants were also slightly more likely to seek support specifically through cancer support groups. No significant relationships between minimising problems and resignation, needs for control and self-reliance or fatalism and detection via screening, support seeking, or perceived self-imposed delays to seeking medical attention were apparent, with the exception that those with higher fatalism (predetermined health) were slightly less likely to report seeking support or information online (OR = 0.79, CI = 0.65-0.95) and slightly more likely to report using Cancer Council's support services (OR = 1.24, CI = 1.02-1.52).
Strategies to improve the accessibility and appropriateness of support available for regional and remote cancer patients should consider interventions that remove barriers to access associated with age, gender, and education as opposed to those which address the attitudinal traits measured here.
在有癌症诊断的地区和偏远地区人群中，测量通过筛查发现的比率、寻求医疗关注的自我感知延迟、寻求支持的比率，并检验这些行为与减轻问题和听天由命、自我控制和自力更生的需求以及宿命论之间是否存在关联。采用相关分析和二元逻辑回归分析检验人口统计学特征、态度和行为之间的关联。
女性通过筛查发现癌症的可能性更大（OR=10.02，CI=3.49-28.78）。年轻的参与者（r=-0.103，p=0.009）更有可能寻求至少一种形式的支持，年轻的患者更经常寻求在线支持（r=-0.269，p<0.001），女性（r=0.152，p<0.001），社会经济地位（SES）较高的人群（r=0.100，p=0.012），以及受教育程度较高的人群（r=0.247，p<0.001）。较年轻的（r=-0.161，p<0.001）和女性（r=0.82，p=0.013）参与者也更有可能专门通过癌症支持团体寻求支持。在通过筛查发现、寻求支持、或自我感知的寻求医疗关注的延迟方面，减轻问题和听天由命、自我控制和自力更生的需求或宿命论之间没有明显的关系，除了那些宿命论（预定的健康）较高的人更不可能报告在线寻求支持或信息（OR=0.79，CI=0.65-0.95），更有可能报告使用癌症委员会的支持服务（OR=1.24，CI=1.02-1.52）。
为改善地区和偏远地区癌症患者可获得的支持的可及性和适宜性，应考虑消除与年龄、性别和教育相关的获取障碍的干预措施，而不是解决这里所测量的态度特征。
