Medical care-seeking and health-risk behavior in patients with head and neck cancer: the role of health value, control beliefs and psychological distress

Health behavior plays an important role in the development, detection and course of cancer of the head and neck. Relevant health behavior includes prompt medical care seeking, and smoking and drinking cessation after diagnosis. This study examines the relationship between these health behaviors and...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Health education research 2005-12, Vol.20 (6), p.665-675
Main Authors: Tromp, D. M., Brouha, X. D. R., Hordijk, G. J., Winnubst, J. A. M., Gebhardt, W. A., van der Doef, M. P., De Leeuw, J. R. J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Alcohol Consumption
Attitude to Health
Beliefs
Cancer
Female
Head and Neck Cancer
Head and Neck Neoplasms - psychology
Health Behavior
Health Behaviour
Health Services Needs and Demand
Health technology assessment
Humans
Locus of Control
Male
Medical Services
Middle Aged
Netherlands
ORIGINAL ARTICLES
Patients
Psychological distress
Resistance (Psychology)
Risk-Taking
Self Efficacy
Smoking
Stress, Psychological
Surveys and Questionnaires
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Health behavior plays an important role in the development, detection and course of cancer of the head and neck. Relevant health behavior includes prompt medical care seeking, and smoking and drinking cessation after diagnosis. This study examines the relationship between these health behaviors and health value and control beliefs, as well as psychological distress. Two hundred and sixty-four recently diagnosed head and neck cancer patients were interviewed about their health behavior, and they filled in a questionnaire on health beliefs and psychological distress. The results showed that one-quarter (25%) of the patients had waited more than 3 months before seeking medical care, 50% had continued to smoke and 80% had continued to drink after the diagnosis. The patients, particularly those who smoked and drank before diagnosis, reported lower levels of health value and perceived health competence than a general population sample with which they were compared. Patients who engaged in patient delay reported a lack of perceived health competence. Psychological distress and lack of perceived health competence were found to be more common among patients who continued to smoke. The implications of these findings are discussed with regard to interventions aimed at promoting these specific health behaviors.
ISSN:0268-1153
1465-3648
DOI:10.1093/her/cyh031