Beliefs of cancer patients in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Objectives: To examine oncology patients’ beliefs about the transmissible nature of cancer or its treatments and to determine the correlates thereof.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Participants: Sixty-nine hospital outpatients completed the questionnaire.

Methods: Beliefs about the spread of cancer, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy with physical contact, along with demographic, social, psychological, health-related characteristics were assessed by questionnaire. Bivariate and multivariate analyses identified correlations between these beliefs and patient characteristics.

Findings: A percentage (5.8%) believed their cancer could spread like an infection or be transmitted through sexual or nonsexual contact and 15.9% were unsure. Even more (13.0%) believed that chemotherapy could spread through sexual or nonsexual contact and 18.8% were unsure. Likewise, many believed (10.1%) that radiation therapy could spread through sexual or nonsexual contact and 21.7% were unsure. Obsessions with contamination were most strongly associated with such beliefs (B = 0.73, SE = 0.09, p < .0001).

Conclusions: Beliefs about the spread of cancer or its treatments are not uncommon in Saudi Arabia, where cultural beliefs and tradition strongly influence healthcare decisions.

Keywords:

• beliefs
• cancer
• contagiousness
• chemotherapy
• infectious
• patient education
• radiation therapy
• transmission

Disclosure statement

Authors have no conflicts of interest (financial or otherwise).

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This project was funded by the Deanship of Scientific Research (DSR), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, under grant No. (D-232-248-1440). The authors, therefore, gratefully acknowledge the DSR technical and financial support.