McIntosh Stephen, Harries Bethany, Perry Matthew, Cropley Mark, Dibb Bridget
School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.
Cancer Med. 2025 Sep;14(18):e71214. doi: 10.1002/cam4.71214.
Men face numerous challenges when deciding whether to engage in help-seeking for abnormal lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), with help-seeking behaviour a multi-step process.
This systematic review explores the barriers and facilitators to help-seeking behaviour in adult men for abnormal LUTS.
Eight databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, EBSCOhost, SCOPUS, OVID, ProQuest and PsychINFO) were searched between January 2023 and March 2024. Studies were required to meet the inclusion criteria informed by PRISMA guidelines. Qualitative and mixed-method studies were included in the systematic review.
(N) = 17 full-text articles were included in the review, totalling (n) = 704 participants. The systematic review uncovered four key themes: men have poor relationships with the healthcare system, some minority groups have dysfunctional cultural beliefs and attitudes towards help-seeking behaviour, traditional gender views and perceptions of masculinity discourage help-seeking behaviour and men have intrapersonal and external barriers.
Men face considerable challenges when deciding to engage in help-seeking for abnormal LUTS, with men generally lacking awareness and knowledge of what they should do when experiencing symptoms. This is more profound in men from minority groups. This review may have had a language bias as non-English studies were excluded. This review may be essential to inform the development of interventions to facilitate help-seeking behaviour for abnormal LUTS in men, specifically men from minority populations.
男性在决定是否就下尿路症状异常（LUTS）寻求帮助时面临诸多挑战，寻求帮助行为是一个多步骤过程。
本系统评价探讨成年男性针对LUTS异常寻求帮助行为的障碍和促进因素。
于2023年1月至2024年3月期间检索了八个数据库（PubMed、科学网、考克兰图书馆、EBSCOhost、Scopus、OVID、ProQuest和PsychINFO）。研究需符合PRISMA指南规定的纳入标准。系统评价纳入了定性和混合方法研究。
该评价纳入了（N）=17篇全文文章，共有（n）=704名参与者。系统评价发现了四个关键主题：男性与医疗保健系统关系不佳；一些少数群体对寻求帮助行为有功能失调的文化信仰和态度；传统性别观念和男性气质观念阻碍寻求帮助行为；男性存在个人内部和外部障碍。
男性在决定就LUTS异常寻求帮助时面临相当大的挑战，男性通常对出现症状时应做什么缺乏认识和了解。这在少数群体男性中更为突出。本评价可能存在语言偏见，因为排除了非英语研究。本评价对于为促进男性尤其是少数群体男性针对LUTS异常寻求帮助行为的干预措施的制定提供信息可能至关重要。
