Dataset Information

A Qualitative Study of Smoking-Related Causal Attributions and Risk Perceptions in Cervical Cancer Survivors.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

The prevalence of smoking among cervical cancer survivors typically exceeds what is found among women in the general population and other cancer survivors. Yet, there is a dearth of literature on risk and protective factors related to smoking among cervical cancer survivors, especially when it comes to identification of variables that are amendable to intervention. To help fill this gap in the literature, this qualitative study examines the nature of smoking-related causal attributions and risk perceptions in cervical cancer survivors who smoked at cancer diagnosis.

Methods

Participants are 21 female cervical cancer survivors (M=45.7, SD=8.4?years old), all diagnosed in the past five years. Nearly three-quarters of participants reported smoking in the past month.

Results

Smoking was not uniformly recognized as a cause of cervical cancer (whether in general or participants' own cancer); the link between smoking and lung, head-neck, and other cancers was more readily accepted. Despite generally weak endorsements of causal attributions, many participants reported smoking significantly increases risk for poor clinical (e.g., recurrence) and quality of life (e.g., pain) outcomes after cervical cancer diagnosis.

Conclusions

Findings suggest cervical cancer survivors may not fully understand or appreciate the role of smoking in cervical cancer risk whereas their beliefs about the role of smoking in cervical cancer prognosis are more well-formed. This study highlights the potential role of causal attributions and risk perceptions in understanding and addressing the smoking-related experience of cervical cancer survivors.

SUBMITTER: Puleo GE

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7054153 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

A Qualitative Study of Smoking-Related Causal Attributions and Risk Perceptions in Cervical Cancer Survivors.

Puleo Gabriella E GE Borger Tia N TN Montgomery Devin D Rivera Rivera Jessica N JN Burris Jessica L JL

Psycho-oncology 20191126 3

<h4>Objective</h4>The prevalence of smoking among cervical cancer survivors typically exceeds what is found among women in the general population and other cancer survivors. Yet, there is a dearth of literature on risk and protective factors related to smoking among cervical cancer survivors, especially when it comes to identification of variables that are amendable to intervention. To help fill this gap in the literature, this qualitative study examines the nature of smoking-related causal attr ...[more]

PMID: 31733086

Similar Datasets

Project description:Objectives: Insomnia is common among cancer survivors, yet survivors' beliefs about their insomnia following cancer are largely unknown. This study describes cancer survivors' causal attributions of insomnia and whether these beliefs differ by sociodemographic characteristics. Participants: 160 cancer survivors meeting diagnostic criteria for insomnia disorder. Methods: Survivors endorsed how likely they believed 12 different factors were causally related to their insomnia and self-reported sociodemographics. Multinomial logistic regression tested associations between attribution endorsement and sociodemographics. Latent class analysis (LCA) examined patterns of attribution endorsement and whether sociodemographics were associated. Results: One hundred fifty-four survivors (96%) endorsed that at least 1 causal attribution was likely related to their insomnia. Most survivors endorsed that emotions (77%), thinking patterns (76%), sleep-related emotions (65%), and sleep-related thoughts (57%) were related to their insomnia, similar to data previously published among healthy persons with insomnia. Younger participants were more likely to endorse that biochemical factors related to their insomnia (ps < .02); females were more likely to endorse that hormonal factors related to their insomnia (ps < .001). LCA identified three classes (AIC = 3209.50, BIC = 3485.13). Approximately 40% of survivors endorsed most of the causal attributions were likely related to their insomnia; 13% frequently endorsed attributions were neither likely nor unlikely to be related. Older survivors were more likely to belong to the 47% who reported most attributions were unlikely related to their insomnia (p = .03). Conclusions: Cancer survivors with insomnia commonly endorsed that thoughts and emotions contributed to their sleep disturbance. Survivors' sociodemographic characteristics did not meaningfully explain individual differences for most causal attribution beliefs.

Project description:Importance:The population of cancer survivors is rapidly growing in the US. Tobacco smoking is associated with many cancers; however, whether cigarette smoking behaviors among cancer survivors vary according to cancer type-that is, smoking-related cancers (SRCs) vs non-smoking-related cancers (NSRCs)-remains unclear. Objectives:To examine cigarette smoking prevalence and behaviors (ie, continuing or quitting smoking) among cancer survivors and to compare them between survivors of SRCs and NSRCs. Design, Setting, and Participants:This study was a cross-sectional analysis of the 2017 National Health Interview Survey, a household survey of civilian US residents who were aged 18 years or older. The National Health Interview Survey is population based and is representative of the US population. Data analysis was performed from June to October 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures:The primary outcomes were prevalence of current cigarette smoking among cancer survivors and prevalence of continuing smoking and quitting smoking after a cancer diagnosis. Secondary outcomes included factors associated with continued smoking vs quitting smoking after a cancer diagnosis. Results:A total of 26?742 respondents (mean [SD] age, 50.97 [18.61] years; 14?646 women [51.76%]) to the 2017 National Health Interview Survey were included in this study. Of the 3068 individuals (9.42%) in the study population who had cancer, 589 (19.96%) were SRC survivors, 2297 (74.50%) were NSRC survivors, 168 (4.96%) were survivors of both SRC and NSRC, and the remaining 14 (0.58%) had missing information about the type of cancer. Four hundred forty-nine SRC survivors (54.08%) were women, compared with 1412 NSRC survivors (54.30%). Ninety-six SRC survivors (15.69%) and 151 NSRC survivors (7.99%) were younger than 45 years. Overall, 372 cancer survivors (13.16%) were current smokers. Current smoking prevalence was higher among survivors of SRCs (145 survivors [19.78%]) compared with NSRC survivors (251 survivors [10.63%]). Among cancer survivors, 309 current smokers at cancer diagnosis (43.96%) reported having successfully quit smoking and 372 (56.04%) reported continuing smoking. Among the continuing smokers, 176 (56.49%) reported an unsuccessful quit attempt in the last 12 months. After cancer diagnosis, SRC survivors had higher odds of continued smoking compared with NSRC survivors (odds ratio [OR], 2.10; 95% CI, 1.12-3.93; P?=?.02). Men (OR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.05-3.57; P?=?.04), those with angina pectoris (OR, 5.40; 95% CI, 1.33-21.91; P?=?.02), and those with chronic bronchitis (OR, 2.55; 95% CI, 1.05-6.19; P?=?.04) had higher odds of continued smoking, whereas Hispanic participants (compared with non-Hispanic white participants: OR, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.05-0.68; P?=?.01) and married participants (compared with never married participants: OR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.12-0.96; P?=?.04) had lower odds of continued smoking. Conclusions and Relevance:These findings suggest that compared with NSRC survivors, SRC survivors may be at higher risk of being cigarette smokers at cancer diagnosis and of continuing smoking afterward. Although smoking cessation interventions are critically important for all cancer survivors, special efforts should target survivors of SRCs.

Project description:BackgroundIllness beliefs are significant contributors to health outcomes. Beliefs about the cause of physical symptoms are considered particularly important among those with medically unexplained symptoms and illnesses (MUS); yet little is known about causal beliefs among those with the most severe MUS (i.e., Veterans). The goal of the current study was to examine Veteran's causal attributions of their physical symptoms.MethodA total of 91 combat Veterans with MUS were surveyed using a mixed-methods design about the cause of their physical symptoms, physical symptom severity, and PTSD symptoms. Causal attributions of physical symptoms were analyzed through thematic response analysis and grouped into categories. Chi-square analysis was used to assess the distribution of causal attribution types across Veterans with varying physical symptom severity and PTSD symptom severity.ResultsVeterans with MUS reported an average of 7.9 physical symptoms, and attributed the cause of their symptoms to seven different categories ("Do not Know," "Stress/Mental Health," "Deployment/Environment," "Functional/Symptom," "Medically Explained," "Medically Unexplained Syndrome," and "Lifestyle"). Exploratory chi-square analysis revealed significant differences in causal attributions across physical symptom severity and severity of PTSD symptoms. Veterans with more severe PTSD and Veterans with more severe physical symptoms were more likely to attribute their MUS to stress/mental health or to a medically unexplained syndrome compared with those with low/no PTSD symptoms and physical symptom severity. Veterans with minimal PTSD and Veterans with minimal physical symptom severity were more likely to attribute the cause of their MUS to lifestyle choices (e.g., exercise/diet) compared with those with high PTSD and physical symptom severity.ConclusionVeterans with MUS endorse multiple, varied causal attributions for their physical symptoms, suggesting more complex causal beliefs than typically assumed. This has important implications for patient-provider communication and development of concordance around MUS treatment.

Project description:BackgroundAmong stroke survivors, the risk of stroke recurrence is high, and stroke survivors' perception of the risk of recurrence is crucial to promote healthy behaviours.ObjectivesThis study aimed to explore the perceptions of stroke survivors about their risk of recurrence and healthy behavioural modifications.DesignA qualitative interview study was carried out.ResultsWe interviewed 19 stroke survivors from 3 hospitals. Thematic analysis showed that the perceptions of recurrence risk and healthy behavioural changes differed between first-ever and recurrent stroke survivors. Three themes were generated from the data of first-ever stroke survivors: indifference to and unawareness of the risk of stroke recurrence, the need for professional information support and different awareness of the importance of different healthy behaviours. For first-relapse stroke patients: worry but feel powerlessness towards recurrent event, accurate information is still warranted, regret of unhealthy behaviour patterns. For the survivors suffered two or more times recurrences: perceived severity of recurrences, increased psychological care need, incorrect perceptions of healthy behaviour.Discussion and conclusionStroke survivors with or without recurrence hold different perceptions towards the risk of recurrence and behavioural changes. The need for information related to warning signs, recurrence risk and risk factors remained consistently unmet. The benefits of healthy behaviours could be a double-edged sword for the prevention of stroke recurrence if the survivors fail to understand these accurately. It is strongly recommended that a specific recurrence risk communication tool and related health education plan be explored on the basis of the number of times patients have experienced stroke recurrence to inform secondary prevention of stroke in the future.Patient/public contributionThe patients were involved in the formulation of interview questions and conduct of this study. No public was involved in this study.

Dataset Information

A Qualitative Study of Smoking-Related Causal Attributions and Risk Perceptions in Cervical Cancer Survivors.

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

A Qualitative Study of Smoking-Related Causal Attributions and Risk Perceptions in Cervical Cancer Survivors.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets