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Factors related to help-seeking for cancer medical care among people living in rural areas: a scoping review.

ABSTRACT: Despite the importance of timely diagnosis and access to treatment, previous studies have not adequately explored help-seeking behavior in cancer treatment among rural and remote residents. The barriers preventing help-seeking behavior also remain unclear. To address this research gap, this study conducted a scoping review to suggest a framework for eliminating barriers and facilitating help-seeking for cancer treatment among rural and remote residents. To conduct the scoping review, three English medical databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, and CINAHL) were examined for the keywords "rural," "remote," "cancer," and "help-seeking." The research objectives and study designs, participants, and excerpts describing help-seeking of the selected papers were recorded in a data charting form. Descriptions of help-seeking behavior were organized and summarized according to their meaning and integrated into factors using thematic analysis. All extracted factors related to help-seeking were sorted into four main themes according to the Ecological Model of Health Behavior, the theoretical lens for this scoping review: (1) Intrapersonal; (2) Interpersonal; (3) Groups, culture, and organizations; and (4) Policy/environment. Factors were categorized as barriers and facilitators of help-seeking. A total of 13 papers were analyzed. Intrapersonal factors such as self-reliance, symptom appraisal, and fatalism, were identified as barriers to help-seeking, whereas presentation of abnormal and serious symptoms facilitated help-seeking. Interpersonal factors such as lack of understanding of family members, influence of surrounding people, role obligations, and lack of trust in experts hindered help-seeking, whereas understanding from surrounding people such as family and friends, promoted help-seeking. Groups, cultural, and organizational factors such as prejudice, social stigma, shame, lack of anonymity, and social norms acted as barriers to help-seeking. Policy-related barriers to help-seeking included lack of medical services and physical distance from medical institutions, leading to a time burden. The study discussed the identified factors from a rural context. Future studies should consider the identified barriers and facilitators according to the four main themes in rural areas when formulating interventions to promote help-seeking. Our findings can offer a theoretical foundation to develop actionable policies, preventive strategies, and relevant interventional tools that may facilitate oncological service utilization in rural areas.

SUBMITTER: Oshiro M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9241203 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Background and objectivesPeople living with dementia deserve to experience the benefits of receiving palliative care and end-of-life services and supports, yet they often do not receive this care compared to those with other terminal diseases. People living with dementia in rural areas often face additional challenges to accessing such care. The purpose of this scoping review was to systematically review and synthesize the literature on palliative and end-of-life care for people with dementia living in rural areas, and to identify and describe key findings and gaps in the literature.MethodsA collaborative research team approach was used in an iterative process across all stages of this review. Systematic, comprehensive searches were conducted across ten databases and eight targeted websites for relevant peer-reviewed, original research and other less formal literature, published in English, which yielded a total of 4476 results. After duplicate removal, screening, and review, 24 items were included for synthesis.ResultsAll items were described and illustrated by frequency distribution, findings were grouped thematically, and five key themes emerged, including: 1) Knowledge about dementia, 2) Availability, accessibility, and utilization of palliative and end-of-life care services and supports, 3) Decision-making about care, the value of a person-centered approach and collaborative support, 4) Perspectives on artificial nutrition, hydration, and comfort care, and 5) Quality of life and death. The main gap identified was literature pertaining to rural populations, especially from locations other than the United States. The influence of rurality on relevant findings was mixed across rural-urban comparison studies, as was the effect of sex and gender across the literature.ConclusionsSeveral areas were highlighted including the importance of increasing knowledge about dementia, having early conversations about advanced care and treatment options, providing a person-centered approach, and the potential for using technology to address rural access issues. These findings can be used to inform future research and policy and the development of services, supports, and strategies for rural people living with dementia. Further research is recommended.

Project description:BackgroundA large proportion of people living with hip or knee pain do not consult health care professionals. Pain severity is often believed to be the main reason for help seeking in this population; however the evidence for this is contradictory. This study explores the importance of several potential risk factors on help seeking across different practitioner groups, among adults living with chronic hip or knee pain in a large community sample.MethodsHealth care utilization, defined as having seen a family doctor (GP) during the past 12 months; or an allied health professional (AHP) or alternative therapist during the past 3 months, was assessed in a community based sample aged 35 or over and reporting pain in hip or knee. Adjusted odds ratios were determined for social deprivation, rurality, pain severity, mobility, anxiety/depression, co-morbidities, and body mass index.ResultsOf 1119 persons reporting hip or knee pain, 52% had pain in both sites. Twenty-five percent of them had seen a doctor only, 3% an AHP only, and 4% an alternative therapist only. Thirteen percent had seen more than one category of health care professionals, and 55% had not seen any health care professional. In the multivariate model, factors associated with consulting a GP were mobility problems (OR 2.62 (1.64-4.17)), urban living (OR 2.40 (1.14-5.04) and pain severity (1.28 (1.13-1.44)). There was also some evidence that obesity was associated with increased consultation (OR 1.72 (1.00-2.93)). Factors were similar for consultation with a combination of several health care professionals. In contrast, seeing an alternative therapist was negatively associated with pain severity, anxiety and mobility problems (adjusting for age and sex).ConclusionDisability appears to be a more important determinant of help-seeking than pain severity or anxiety and depression, for adults with chronic pain in hip or knee. The determinants of seeking help from alternative practitioners are different from determinants of consulting GPs, AHPs or a combination of different health care providers.

Project description:BackgroundEthiopia's National Malaria Control and Elimination Program aims to diagnose all suspected malaria cases within 24 h of fever onset and provide prompt treatment for confirmed cases. This study explored psychosocial factors associated with no-, delayed- and prompt- care-seeking among female caregivers of children under five years with fever in rural Ethiopia.MethodsHousehold surveys were conducted from 2016-2019 among female caregivers (N = 479) of children under five years old with fever in Oromia; Amhara; Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region (SNNPR); and Tigray. Prompt and delayed care-seeking were defined as seeking treatment within ≤ 24 h or > 24 h of symptom onset respectively. Contextual factors explored included sociodemographic factors, household supply of bed nets, exposure to health messages, and household vulnerability (a measure of financial access to food, shelter, schooling, and medical treatment). Ideational factors included psychosocial factors related to care-seeking (knowledge, self-efficacy, response efficacy, attitudes, involvement in decision-making, and household social support).ResultsThe prevalence of fever among children under five years was 18% (ranging from 9% in Tigray to 34% in SNNPR. Overall, 45% of caregivers of children with fever sought care promptly, while 23% delayed care-seeking and 32% sought no care. Prompt care-seeking rates were higher among caregivers with positive attitudes toward prompt care-seeking (48%), involved in decision-making (48%) or perceived equitable gender norms in the community (65%). Caregivers with a high care-seeking ideation had increased odds of prompt care-seeking (aOR: 2.65; 95% CI: 1.74-4.02). Significant contextual factors included residence in the Oromia region (aOR: 2.99; 95% CI:1.40-6.41), caregivers age 35-49 years (aOR: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.26-0.95), residence in vulnerable households (aOR: 2.01; 95% CI: 1.28-3.18).ConclusionsAmong this rural Ethiopian population, prompt care-seeking was low but positively influenced by both ideational and contextual psychosocial factors occurring at the caregiver level. Multi-sectoral interventions at the individual, community, and health facility levels are needed to improve prompt care-seeking. These include social behavior change interventions to improve ideation, complemented by health facility interventions to ensure provision of high-quality services and structural interventions to increase educational attainment in these rural settings.

Project description:IntroductionDespite evidence that illustrates the unmet healthcare needs of older adults, there is limited research examining their help-seeking behaviour, of which direct intervention can improve patient outcomes. Research in this area conducted with a focus on ethnic minority older adults is also needed, as their help-seeking behaviours may be influenced by various cultural factors. This scoping review aims to explore the global literature on the factors associated with help-seeking behaviours of older adults and how cultural values and backgrounds may impact ethnic minority older adults' help-seeking behaviours in different ways.Methods and analysisThe scoping review process will be guided by the methodology framework of Arksey and O'Malley and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis Protocols Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. The following electronic databases will be systematically searched from January 2005 onwards: MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, CINAHL and Scopus. Studies of various designs and methodologies consisting of older adults aged 65 years or older, who are exhibiting help-seeking behaviours for the purpose of remedying a physical or mental health challenge, will be considered for inclusion. Two reviewers will screen full texts and chart data. The results of this scoping review will be summarised quantitatively through numerical counts and qualitatively through a narrative synthesis.Ethics and disseminationAs this is a scoping review of published literature, ethics approval is not required. Results will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed journal.DiscussionThis scoping review will synthesise the current literature related to the help-seeking behaviours of older adults and ethnic minority older adults. It will identify current gaps in research and potential ways to move forward in developing or implementing strategies that support the various health needs of the diverse older adult population.RegistrationThis scoping review protocol has been registered with the Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/69kmx).

Project description:IntroductionSmoking rates among people living in rural and remote areas are higher and quit rates are lower over the past 10 years compared with people living in suburban and urban areas. Higher smoking rates contribute to greater tobacco-related disease and morbidity in rural and remote areas. Physical and social isolation, greater exposure to pro-tobacco marketing, pro-tobacco social norms, and lower socioeconomic and educational levels are contributing to these higher smoking rates and lower quit rates. Smoking cessation interventions for people in rural and remote areas have been conducted, however little is known about their effectiveness or their mechanisms of action as well as the quality of such research. Behaviour change techniques (BCTs) are mechanisms of action derived from behaviour change theory, such as goal setting and reward. Improved understanding of the contribution of BCTs for smoking cessation in the rural and remote population will support future intervention development. We aim to review the literature on smoking cessation interventions for people living in rural and remote areas to inform evidence about intervention effectiveness and mechanisms of action.Methods and analysisWe will conduct a systematic review using seven scientific databases (EMBASE, MedLine, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Cochrane, Informit Health and Scopus). We will include peer-reviewed journal articles published in English that examine a smoking cessation intervention delivered to people living in rural and remote areas in the USA, Canada and Australia. We will examine outcome data relating to intervention effectiveness (eg, point prevalence abstinence or continuous abstinence), as well as the BCTs used in included interventions and their relationship with intervention outcomes. We will also assess the feasibility, acceptability and quality of research interventions of included articles, and provide graded recommendations based on the review outcomes. Data will be synthesised using narrative approaches and interpreted using content analysis.Ethics and disseminationEthics was not required for this systematic review. The results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publication and at conferences by presentations.Prospero registration number177398.

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Factors related to help-seeking for cancer medical care among people living in rural areas: a scoping review.

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