JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Although previous studies have reported the cancer information seeking behaviors among developed countries, cancer information seeking practice of patients living in low- and middle-income areas is less known.

Objective:

This study investigates the beliefs and information seeking patterns of cancer patients in Southwest China.

Methods:

A questionnaire survey was designed and data was collected in in two hospitals (N=258) in Southwest China. Statistical analyses included bivariate analyses and regressions.

Results:

Patients’ attitudes towards cancer fatalism were significantly influenced by marital status, education and household income. Moreover, endorsing fatalistic belief was positively associated with age (r=0.348, P<0.001). The regression model shows that younger patients (OR=0.959, CI [0.932, 0.987]) and those with higher education (OR=1.749, CI [1.089, 2.810]) are more likely to look for information. Additionally, patients who were less confident in getting information were more likely to find information (OR=1.700, CI [1.145, 2.524]), while fatalism belief was not significant in the regression.

Conclusions:

This study explored the information seeking patterns of cancer patients in Southwest China. It is found that many Chinese people endorsed cancer fatalism. These pessimistic beliefs about the potential to prevent and to cure cancer exert correlation with cancer-related information seeking, and self-belief about the confidence in finding needed cancer information was a significant predictor of seeking out information.