RT Journal Article
T1 Psychological factors related to time to help-seeking for cancer symptoms: a meta-analysis across cancer sites.
A1 Petrova, Dafina
A1 Okan, Yasmina
A1 Salamanca-Fernandez, Elena
A1 Dominguez-Lopez, Santiago
A1 Sanchez-Perez, Maria-Jose
A1 Rodriguez-Barranco, Miguel
K1 Cancer
K1 beliefs
K1 diagnostic delay
K1 knowledge
K1 patient interval
K1 symptoms
K1 time to help-seeking
AB The time patients wait before seeking help for cancer symptoms is among the most important factors contributing to diagnostic delays in cancer. We reviewed the association between time to help-seeking and three psychological factors: symptom knowledge, symptom interpretation, and beliefs about cancer. Forty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria, providing data from 22 countries concerning seven cancer sites. Better symptom knowledge was related to lower odds of a long help-seeking interval in both studies with healthy populations (OR = .73, 95% CI [.63, .84], k = 19) and patients (OR = .40, 95% CI [.23, .69], k = 12), and so was interpreting experienced symptoms as cancer-related (OR = .52, 95% CI [.36, .75], k = 13 studies with patients). More positive beliefs about cancer (i.e., that cancer is treatable) were associated with lower odds of a long help-seeking interval in both studies with healthy populations (OR = .70, 95% CI [.52, .92], k = 11) and with patients (OR = .51, 95% CI [.32, .82], k = 7). Symptom knowledge, interpretation, and beliefs about cancer are likely to be universal predictors of help-seeking and should be incorporated into theoretical models of patient help-seeking and interventions aiming to reduce delays.
YR 2019
FD 2019-08-27
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10668/14226
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10668/14226
LA en
NO Petrova D, Okan Y, Salamanca-Fernández E, Domínguez-López S, Sánchez MJ, Rodríguez-Barranco M. Psychological factors related to time to help-seeking for cancer symptoms: a meta-analysis across cancer sites. Health Psychol Rev. 2020 Jun;14(2):245-268.
DS RISalud
RD Apr 16, 2025