Assessment of Factors Affecting Cancer Patients’ Knowledge and Attitude toward Cancer Therapy, 2018,Addis Abeba ,Ethiopia.
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Date
2019-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Background: Knowledge and attitude about cancer disease influences the patient’s healt hcare seeking behavior and the treatment outcome. As cancer is among the leading killing diseasesin the world including Ethiopia different treatment options are used to cure and prevent further complications. So the knowledge and attitude of the cancer patient towards cancer treatment is very important to start and finish the follow up.
Objective: The objective of this study was focused to assess factors affecting knowledge and attitude of cancer patients toward cancer therapy at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital.
Methods: both qualitative and quantitative approaches were employed and sample size for quantitative study was determined by using single population proportion (SPP) formula, 298 samples were enrolled from adult inpatient and outpatient Oncology Unit. Also a sample size of 6 was selected for qualitative study by judgmental or purposive sampling technique.
Structured questionnaire for quantitative and semi-structured interview guide for qualitative study was used as data collection tool. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics; frequency percentage, mean, and standard deviation of all the variables were analyzed on SPSS version 21. Qualitative data were analyzed through thematic analysis.
Results: A total of 296 respondents were participated in the study. The proportion of participants with good knowledge and positive attitude about cancer therapy was 30.7% and 52.1% respectively with 95% confidence interval. Male cancer patients were 35.5% more knowledgeable than those female participants (AOR= 0.355, 95% CI; 1.130, 1.966). Those whose education is college and above were four times knowledgeable about cancer therapy than illiterate (AOR=3.92, 95% CI; 2.08, 7.40). Patients above age 60 years were 42.1% more to have positive attitude toward cancer therapy than 18-30 years (AOR= 0.421, 95% CI;1.999,4.9786).and whose educational background is college and above were 40% more likely to had posit ive attitude toward cancer therapy than illiterate participants’ (AOR= 0.400,
95% CI; (1.209,4.765). The qualitative result shows that even though they have good attitude towards cancer therapy the costs are unaffordable and affecting their life as well as their family.
Conclusion and Recommendation: More than two third of cancer patients had poor knowledge and around half of the cancer patient had positive attitude about cancer therapy. Male, patients from rural area and more educated patients were more knowledgeable than female, patients from urban and lesser educated patients respectively. Respondents with higher age, education and income level were more likely to have positive attitude than those with lower age, education level and income categories. MoH attention on cancer and cancer treatment education program is vital. In addition, an
improvement of low carrying capacit y and poor patients’ registry is necessary to reduce long waiting time for cancer therapy at the hospital.
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knowledge, attitude, cancer therapy, factors