Ovarian Cancer Symptom Awareness and Help-seeking
Ovarian Cancer Symptom Awareness and Help-seeking
The mean age of the sample was 47 (range 16–91) years. Most respondents were White (93%) and around half were high SES (54%). Almost two-thirds (63%) of the women had known someone close with cancer, but few (5%) had experienced cancer themselves. The subgroup of women aged ≥45 years (n=510) had a mean age of 62 (range 45–91) years. Again, most were White (97%) and high SES (60%). Nearly three quarters (72%) had known someone with cancer.
Symptom recall was low, with 58% of the whole sample and 54% of the subgroup of women aged ≥45 years unable to recall any of the 10 symptoms listed in Table 1 [mean number of symptoms recalled (M)=0.6/10 for the whole sample, standard deviation (SD)=0.8 and M=0.6/10, SD=0.9 in the older subgroup]. 'Pain in the abdomen' was the most commonly recalled symptom in both the sample overall and in the subgroup (24% and 26%, respectively). 'Feeling full' was the least recalled overall (<1%) and in the subgroup it was 'difficulty eating on most days' (<1%). Recognition scores were much higher with almost all (99%) able to identify at least one of the 10 symptoms in the overall sample (M=6.3, SD=2.2) and in the subgroup (M=6.1, SD=2.2). Recognition was lowest for 'difficulty eating' (25% in the overall sample; 21% in the subgroup) and highest for 'pain in pelvis' (87% in the overall sample; 84% in the subgroup) (Table 1).
Respondents endorsed few barriers to help-seeking (M=2.2/10, SD=2.2 for the sample overall; M=1.6/10, SD=1.8 for the subgroup). A quarter (26%) of the overall sample anticipated no barriers, whilst the figure was higher (34%) for women aged ≥45 years. The most endorsed barrier was worry about what the general practitioner (GP) might find (34% for the sample overall; 29% for the subgroup) and the least endorsed was difficulty arranging transport to the GP (5% for the sample as a whole; 4% for the subgroup) (Table 2).
Median anticipated time to help-seeking varied by symptom. Women anticipated waiting the longest for extreme fatigue, persistent bloating, back pain, persistently feeling full and changes in bowel habit. The shortest anticipated time was for persistent abdominal pain. Patterns were the same for the overall sample and the subgroup (Figure 1 shows median time to help-seeking by symptom for the sample overall).
(Enlarge Image)
Figure 1.
Median anticipated time to help-seeking by symptom for the sample overall (n=1000).
The regression model for the sample overall explained 6% of variance in scores on the scale of anticipated time to help-seeking [Adj R=0.06, F(5,940)=13.53, p<0.001]. Endorsing more practical and service barriers and having a higher SES were significant predictors of a higher score on the scale (i.e. longer anticipated time to help-seeking for more symptoms). The standardised beta was largest for practical barriers (beta=0.16, p<0.001) and slightly smaller for SES (beta=0.12, p<0.001) and service barriers (beta=0.10, p<0.01), suggesting that perceiving more practical barriers to help-seeking has the strongest influence on anticipated time to help-seeking.
The regression model for the subgroup explained 11% of the variance in scores on the scale of anticipated time to help-seeking [Adj R=0.11, F(6,458)=10.56, p<0.001]. Endorsing more practical and service barriers, having a higher SES and being of a White ethnicity all significantly predicted a higher score. The standardised beta was largest for SES (beta=0.22, p<0.001) and smaller for service barriers (beta=0.17, p=0.001), practical barriers (beta=0.13, p<0.01) and ethnicity (beta=0.12, p<0.01), suggesting that, in the subgroup of women aged ≥45 years, SES has the strongest influence on anticipated time to help-seeking. Table 3 contains both regressions.
Results
Sample Demographics
The mean age of the sample was 47 (range 16–91) years. Most respondents were White (93%) and around half were high SES (54%). Almost two-thirds (63%) of the women had known someone close with cancer, but few (5%) had experienced cancer themselves. The subgroup of women aged ≥45 years (n=510) had a mean age of 62 (range 45–91) years. Again, most were White (97%) and high SES (60%). Nearly three quarters (72%) had known someone with cancer.
Symptom Awareness
Symptom recall was low, with 58% of the whole sample and 54% of the subgroup of women aged ≥45 years unable to recall any of the 10 symptoms listed in Table 1 [mean number of symptoms recalled (M)=0.6/10 for the whole sample, standard deviation (SD)=0.8 and M=0.6/10, SD=0.9 in the older subgroup]. 'Pain in the abdomen' was the most commonly recalled symptom in both the sample overall and in the subgroup (24% and 26%, respectively). 'Feeling full' was the least recalled overall (<1%) and in the subgroup it was 'difficulty eating on most days' (<1%). Recognition scores were much higher with almost all (99%) able to identify at least one of the 10 symptoms in the overall sample (M=6.3, SD=2.2) and in the subgroup (M=6.1, SD=2.2). Recognition was lowest for 'difficulty eating' (25% in the overall sample; 21% in the subgroup) and highest for 'pain in pelvis' (87% in the overall sample; 84% in the subgroup) (Table 1).
Barriers
Respondents endorsed few barriers to help-seeking (M=2.2/10, SD=2.2 for the sample overall; M=1.6/10, SD=1.8 for the subgroup). A quarter (26%) of the overall sample anticipated no barriers, whilst the figure was higher (34%) for women aged ≥45 years. The most endorsed barrier was worry about what the general practitioner (GP) might find (34% for the sample overall; 29% for the subgroup) and the least endorsed was difficulty arranging transport to the GP (5% for the sample as a whole; 4% for the subgroup) (Table 2).
Anticipated Time to Help-seeking
Median anticipated time to help-seeking varied by symptom. Women anticipated waiting the longest for extreme fatigue, persistent bloating, back pain, persistently feeling full and changes in bowel habit. The shortest anticipated time was for persistent abdominal pain. Patterns were the same for the overall sample and the subgroup (Figure 1 shows median time to help-seeking by symptom for the sample overall).
(Enlarge Image)
Figure 1.
Median anticipated time to help-seeking by symptom for the sample overall (n=1000).
The regression model for the sample overall explained 6% of variance in scores on the scale of anticipated time to help-seeking [Adj R=0.06, F(5,940)=13.53, p<0.001]. Endorsing more practical and service barriers and having a higher SES were significant predictors of a higher score on the scale (i.e. longer anticipated time to help-seeking for more symptoms). The standardised beta was largest for practical barriers (beta=0.16, p<0.001) and slightly smaller for SES (beta=0.12, p<0.001) and service barriers (beta=0.10, p<0.01), suggesting that perceiving more practical barriers to help-seeking has the strongest influence on anticipated time to help-seeking.
The regression model for the subgroup explained 11% of the variance in scores on the scale of anticipated time to help-seeking [Adj R=0.11, F(6,458)=10.56, p<0.001]. Endorsing more practical and service barriers, having a higher SES and being of a White ethnicity all significantly predicted a higher score. The standardised beta was largest for SES (beta=0.22, p<0.001) and smaller for service barriers (beta=0.17, p=0.001), practical barriers (beta=0.13, p<0.01) and ethnicity (beta=0.12, p<0.01), suggesting that, in the subgroup of women aged ≥45 years, SES has the strongest influence on anticipated time to help-seeking. Table 3 contains both regressions.
