Exploring Information Seeking Anxiety Among Localized Prostate Cancer Patients.

Information seeking anxiety is a multidimensional construct that is operationalized as having elements of worry, confusion, and disorganization. Much remains unknown about the ways information seeking anxiety operates among cancer patients in the United States. This study investigated the application of the information seeking anxiety concept among prostate cancer patients by documenting their assessment experiences and examining relationships between information seeking anxiety and treatment information search behaviors. A purposive sample of African American and Caucasian men (N = 63) within 5 years of being diagnosed with localized disease (stage T1 or T2) were recruited to participate through cancer registries, advertisements, and word-of-mouth. Participants completed a self-administered survey with items that collected demographic information, treatment information-seeking behaviors, and information seeking anxiety evaluations. All surveys were completed in one sitting and a majority of men (82.5%, N = 52) completed the information seeking anxiety assessment with no assistance. During their first interactions with available sources of information (e.g., doctors, internet, peers), most survivors (95.2%, N = 60) reported some level of information seeking anxiety. Specifically, 55.5% (N = 35) were confused about what to look for, 60.3% (N = 38) were worried they would not find the right information, 55.5% (N = 35) were uncomfortable with the search process, and 49.2% (N = 31) reported being disorganized. The composite information seeking anxiety measure was moderately correlated with men's self-reported time to start searching for treatment information (p = .02; r = .306). Information seeking anxiety appears to delay the treatment information gathering activities of prostate cancer survivors with localized disease. This previously undocumented barrier to the delivery of prostate cancer care services should be investigated in other studies with larger and more diverse samples.

Racial Discrimination and Multimorbidity Among Older Adults in Colombia: A National Data Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Multimorbidity is a prevalent worldwide problem among older adults. Our objective was to assess the association between life-course racial discrimination and multimorbidity among older adults in Colombia. METHODS: We used data from the SABE (Salud, Bienestar y Envejecimiento) Colombia Study in 2015 (N = 18,873), a national cross-sectional survey among adults aged 60 years or older. The outcome was multimorbidity, defined as having 2 or more chronic conditions. The main independent variables were 3 racial discrimination measures: 1) everyday racial discrimination (yes or no), 2) childhood racial discrimination score (scored from 0 [never] to 3 [many times]), and 3) situations of racial discrimination in the last 5 years (scored from 0 to 4 as a sum of the number of situations [group activities, public places, inside the family, health centers]). Other variables were sociodemographic characteristics, diseases, economic or health adversity during childhood, and functional status. We used weighted logistic regression analyses to adjust for differences between groups. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression models showed that multimorbidity was significantly associated with experiencing everyday racial discrimination (OR, 2.21; 95% CI, 1.62-3.02), childhood racial discrimination (OR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.10-1.47), and the number of situations of racial discrimination (OR= 1.56; 95% CI, 1.22-2.00). Multimorbidity was also independently associated with multimorbidity during childhood. CONCLUSION: Racial discrimination experiences were associated with higher odds of multimorbidity among older adults in Colombia. Strategies to decrease life course experiences of racial discrimination may improve the health of older adults.

The Association Between Discrimination and Falling. A National Sample of Older Adults.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between discrimination and falling among older people. METHODS: A cross-sectional nationwide population-based face-to-face survey, 2015. The SABE (Salud, Bienestar y Envejecimiento) Colombia Study, 19,004 community-dwelling adults aged ≥60 years. Recurrent falling was defined as ≥2 falls during the prior year. Main independent variable was discrimination. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression models showed that recurrent falling was significantly associated with a number of reasons for experiences of everyday discrimination (due to racial, socioeconomic status, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, or disability) (OR = 1.27, 95% CI 1.21-1.33), childhood discrimination score (never = 0 to many times = 3) (OR = 1.23, 95% CI 1.13-1.33), and number of situations for discrimination during the last 5 years due to skin color (group activities, public places, inside the family, or health centers) (OR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.08-1.17). DISCUSSION: Discrimination experiences were associated with higher odds of recurrent falling.

Utilizing Genomics through Family Health History with the Theory of Planned Behavior: Prediction of Type 2 Diabetes Risk Factors and Preventive Behavior in an African American Population in Florida.

AIM: African Americans are disproportionately affected by type 2 diabetes. The purpose of this study was to assess to what extent African Americans' knowledge and awareness of family health history and related risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes influence their likelihood of adopting a preventive behavior. METHODS: This study employed an anonymous pencil-and-paper, self-administered survey consisting of two sections. Section 1 was a modified version of the US Surgeon General's Family Health History Initiative and the American Diabetes Association Diabetes Risk Factor Survey. Section 2 of the survey was based on the constructs of the theory of planned behavior. Over 394 African American participants completed the survey. RESULTS: 'Perceived behavioral control' was the strongest predictor of 'likelihood of adopting preventive behavior'. Participants were aware of their family history as a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, but it was not a significant predictor of behavior modifications based on that knowledge. CONCLUSION: The lack of perceived risk in this population shows the importance of not only knowing one's risk factors but translating those risk factors to a more personalized form that fits into the current lifestyle of the individual in a meaningful way.