Abusaris Raghib, Alsaqabi Dimah, Ibrahim Alyaa F A, A'aqoulah Ashraf, Alanazi Mona R, Alsheikh Manal, Albawardi Fai, Awawdeh Mohammed A, Salem Samah Saad
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health and Health Informatics, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Sci Rep. 2025 Aug 11;15(1):29356. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-15181-8.
Cancer remains the leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide, with its associated physical, emotional, and financial burdens contributing to widespread fear among individuals without a cancer diagnosis. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and identify predictors of fear of cancer (carcinophobia) among the non-cancer population in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online self-administered survey. The Arabic version of the Fear of Cancer Scale (FOCS) was used to assess cancer-related fear. A total of 413 participants from all five regions of Saudi Arabia were surveyed over a two-month period. The prevalence of high cancer fear was 7.75% (95% CI: 5.17-10.33%). Fear levels ranged from 5.2 to 10.4% across demographic groups. Age and income were significantly associated with cancer fear (p < .05). Older individuals were significantly less likely to report fear, while higher income was associated with a 3.6-fold increase in the odds of reporting fear. The study highlights the substantial prevalence of cancer-related fear in the population in Saudi Arabia and identifies critical predictors that may inform targeted public health strategies. Addressing psychological barriers such as carcinophobia is essential for promoting early detection and preventive healthcare behaviors. The findings suggest the need for culturally tailored cancer education and intervention programs to reduce fear and encourage proactive health management in Saudi Arabia.
癌症仍然是全球死亡和发病的主要原因，其相关的身体、情感和经济负担导致未患癌症的个体普遍感到恐惧。本研究旨在估计沙特阿拉伯非癌症人群中对癌症恐惧（恐癌症）的患病率，并确定其预测因素。采用在线自填式调查问卷进行了一项横断面研究。使用阿拉伯语版的癌症恐惧量表（FOCS）来评估与癌症相关的恐惧。在两个月的时间里，对来自沙特阿拉伯所有五个地区的413名参与者进行了调查。高癌症恐惧的患病率为7.75%（95%置信区间：5.17 - 10.33%）。不同人口群体的恐惧水平在5.2%至10.4%之间。年龄和收入与癌症恐惧显著相关（p < 0.05）。年龄较大的个体报告恐惧的可能性显著较低，而高收入与报告恐惧的几率增加3.6倍相关。该研究强调了沙特阿拉伯人群中与癌症相关恐惧的高患病率，并确定了可能为有针对性的公共卫生策略提供信息的关键预测因素。解决诸如恐癌症等心理障碍对于促进早期检测和预防性医疗行为至关重要。研究结果表明，需要开展针对文化特点的癌症教育和干预项目，以减少恐惧并鼓励沙特阿拉伯民众积极进行健康管理。
