Reasons people avoid colorectal cancer information: a mixed-methods study.
Psychol Health
; : 1-23, 2023 Nov 10.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37950399
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
With screening, colorectal cancer can be detected when treatable, or even prevented. However, approximately one in five people tend to avoid colorectal cancer information, and avoidance is associated with being less likely to have been screened for the disease. Crucial to developing strategies to reduce information avoidance, we sought a comprehensive understanding of reasons people avoid colorectal cancer information. METHODS ANDMEASURES:
In a mixed methods study, we surveyed 200 participants who varied with respect to avoidance and interviewed 15 people who tended to avoid colorectal cancer information (all aged 40-75) about reasons for avoiding.RESULTS:
In both survey and interviews, primary reasons for information avoidance were (1) shielding from anxiety and other aversive emotion, (2) perceived information sufficiency and (3) feelings of information overload. Trait anxiety, fear of diagnosis, anticipating negative interactions with healthcare, and negative associations with screening procedures exacerbated avoidance. Participants justified information non-relevance by attributing risk to other people's characteristics such as family history, gastrointestinal symptoms, being male, or living an unhealthy lifestyle.CONCLUSION:
Novel findings include the triggering influence of trait anxiety and financial constraints on information avoidance. Also, information overload and incorrect understanding of risk factors may exacerbate perceptions of information sufficiency and avoidance.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Psychol Health
Assunto da revista:
PSICOLOGIA
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Estados Unidos