Involvement of personal and professional relations when experiencing colorectal cancer symptoms – a cross sectional study

Abstract

Objective

As part of improving early diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC), knowledge about involvement of personal and professional relations, when experiencing CRC symptoms, is important. This study aimed to analyse involvement of personal and professional relations and whether age, sex, number of symptoms and available social network are associated with involving family, non-family and professional relations amongst individuals experiencing CRC symptoms.

Methods

Some, 100 000 Danes over 20 years were randomly selected and invited to a cross sectional survey comprising questions about involvement of relations regarding four predefined CRC symptoms (abdominal pain, rectal bleeding and change in stool texture and frequency).

Results

In total, 35 801 respondents over 40 years answered all relevant items and 9346 (26.1%) had experienced at least one CRC symptom in the preceding 4 weeks. Abdominal pain was more often than stool-related symptoms discussed with relations. Respondents with >1 symptom had higher odds of reporting general practitioner (GP) contact compared to respondents with single symptoms. Age ≥60 years was associated with higher odds of GP contact and involving family relations. Spouse/partner was the most frequently involved relation. Involving a personal relation increased the odds of GP contact. Having an available social network decreased GP contact for some symptoms.

Conclusion

Odds of involving professional relations, e.g. the GP, were higher amongst individuals experiencing multiple CRC symptoms and those involving personal relations. Having an available social network was associated with lower odds of GP contact, suggesting that individuals with no available social network are more prone to use their GP.

Keywords:

• Colorectal neoplasms
• general practice
• help-seeking behaviour
• social support
• alarm symptoms
• signs and symptoms

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to thank Maria Munch Storsveen for statistical guidance.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The datasets generated and analysed during the current study are not publicly available due to the data protection regulations of the Danish Data Protection Agency, Statistics Denmark and the Danish Health and Medicines Authority. Access to data is strictly limited to the researchers who have obtained permission for data processing. This permission was giving to the Research Unit of General Practice, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark.

Additional information

Funding

The survey was economically supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Danish Cancer Society (No award/grant number). The funding sources had no involvement in the study or in the approval of the manuscript.