ArticleBMJ open2023
Delay in health-seeking behaviour and associated factors among adult patients with cancer in Ethiopia: a multicentre cross-sectional study.
Article in BMJ open, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 6 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- Factors, including patient education, that impact cancer treatment adherence in low- and middle-income African countries: a scoping review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Article
- Clinical features, diagnosis, and referral of women with breast abnormalities in primary health care settings in rural Ethiopia: a retrospective record analysis.BMC primary care · 2026Article
- Prevalence and determinants of late time to treatment initiation among colorectal cancer patients in the Amhara Region, Ethiopia.The Pan African medical journal · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesDelays in obtaining proper cancer treatment can lead to advanced stages at diagnosis. Despite the problems, there is not enough evidence regarding delay in presentation. This study aims to assess delay in health-seeking behaviour and associated factors among adult patients with cancer in Ethiopia.
designMulticentre cross-sectional study design.
settingData were collected from selected oncology centres in Ethiopia.
participantsA multistage sampling technique was used to select 635 study participants from May 9 to June 9 2022. OUTCOME MEASURES: Patients who have a duration of ≥3 months from symptom recognition to the first healthcare visit were considered as delay in health-seeking behaviour. Data were entered using Epi data and exported to SPSS for further analysis. Before analysis, model fitness was carried out using Hosmer and Lemeshow test. Variables with a p value<0.25 in the bivariable analysis were included in multivariable logistic regression. In multivariable logistic regression, a p value<0.05 significant level was considered as the factor for delay in health-seeking behaviour.
resultsIn this study, a total of 628 adult patients with cancer participated. A total of 72.6% of patients had a delay in health-seeking behaviour. Variables such as being female (AOR=2.81; 95% CI=1.29 to 6.14), rural residence (AOR=2.82; 95% CI=1.43 to 5.58), low social support (AOR=4.16; 95% CI=2.04 to 8.49), not having comorbidity (AOR=4.44; 95% CI=2.28 to 8.66), stage III cancer (AOR=3.73; 95% CI=1.37 to 9.98), stage IV cancer (AOR=3.07; 95% CI=1.28 to 6.41), additional symptoms (AOR=3.03; 95% CI=1.55 to 5.94), never heard about cancers (AOR=4.09; 95% CI=2.06 to 8.11) and never heard about cancer screening (AOR=2.16; 95% CI=1.06 to 4.40) were identified as factors for delay in health-seeking behaviour.
conclusionThis study showed that relatively higher magnitude in which approximately three-fourth of adult patients with cancer were delayed in seeking medical attention. As a result, more effort must be made to tackle delay in health-seeking behaviour and associated factors.
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