Lim Melissa Siaw Han, Mohamad Fitri Suraya, Chew Keng Sheng, Mat Ali Nafeesa, Augustin Yolanda
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia.
Institute of Borneo Studies, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Malaysia.
Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2025 Mar 1;26(3):869-876. doi: 10.31557/APJCP.2025.26.3.869.
Sarawak hospitals report high rates of advanced cancer among women in remote rural areas. Cultural beliefs, low awareness, socio-economic challenges, geographical barriers, and the lack of specialist cancer care contribute to late diagnoses, particularly in breast cancer, exacerbating disparities in access to timely treatment.
This study aimed to explore cultural beliefs, barriers, and healthcare access challenges influencing breast cancer awareness and screening among Sarawak's indigenous and rural communities.
This qualitative study explores how rural Sarawakian women perceive breast cancer and their access to healthcare. Twenty women from three main geographical terrains in Borneo-coastal, riverine, and highland areas participated in the study. After informed consent was obtained, semi-structured interviews were conducted. Data was coded and thematically analyzed to identify cultural nuances affecting their knowledge.
The study found a strong link between cancer and negative beliefs rooted in sociocultural backgrounds. Myths varied, but most associated cancer with death, a fatalistic culture relying on spiritual faith for healing. Participants delayed seeking medical help until "the pain is unbearable," often using oils and herbs first. Lack of knowledge and lack of access to information about cancer are two main findings from the study. Although the majority of the respondents were not equipped with adequate information, they expressed interest in learning about breast screening programs and attending breast cancer awareness campaigns.
The findings will be used to design behavioral intervention modules to educate rural Sarawak populations about the importance of breast self-examination (BSE) practices, early detection, and screening.
砂拉越的医院报告称，偏远农村地区的女性晚期癌症发病率很高。文化信仰、意识淡薄、社会经济挑战、地理障碍以及缺乏专业癌症护理导致诊断延迟，尤其是乳腺癌，加剧了获得及时治疗方面的差距。
本研究旨在探讨影响砂拉越土著和农村社区乳腺癌意识及筛查的文化信仰、障碍和医疗保健获取挑战。
这项定性研究探讨了砂拉越农村妇女对乳腺癌的认知以及她们获得医疗保健的情况。来自婆罗洲三个主要地理区域——沿海、河流和高地地区的20名妇女参与了该研究。在获得知情同意后，进行了半结构化访谈。对数据进行编码并进行主题分析，以确定影响她们知识的文化细微差别。
研究发现癌症与植根于社会文化背景的负面信仰之间存在紧密联系。神话各不相同，但大多数将癌症与死亡联系起来，这是一种依赖精神信仰治愈的宿命论文化。参与者直到“疼痛难忍”才延迟寻求医疗帮助，通常首先使用油和草药。缺乏知识和缺乏癌症信息获取渠道是该研究的两个主要发现。尽管大多数受访者没有获得足够的信息，但她们表示有兴趣了解乳房筛查项目并参加乳腺癌宣传活动。
研究结果将用于设计行为干预模块，以教育砂拉越农村人口了解乳房自我检查（BSE）做法、早期发现和筛查的重要性。
