Psychological factors associated with the uptake of screening services for early detection of cancer among clients visiting Masinga level four hospital outpatient department, Masinga Sub County, Machakos County, Kenya

Abstract

Background: Psychological factors such as stress are known to increase the risk of some cancers. Importantly, screening tests offer a chance to detect cancer at an early stage when successful treatment is most likely. However, successful cancer prevention and control strategy, of which screening is part, hinges on the effective application of what is known about the basics of human behavior and psychological aspects. This study, therefore, aimed at examining psychological factors associated with the uptake of cancer screening in Masinga sub-county, Kenya.

Objective: To assess psychological factors associated with the uptake of cancer screening.

Design: Case-control for quantitative data; Phenomenological for qualitative data.

Setting: Outpatient department, Masinga sub-county hospital.

Subjects: 42 cases (screened) and 116 controls (never screened). Systematic sampling method was used to select the study participants with every 9th person for cases and every 12th for controls. Qualitative data was collected from nine FGDs.

Main outcome measures: Health belief model (HBM) components, cognitive wellbeing, stress, autonomy and general self-efficacy were used as general psychological variables.

Results: Mean age of cases and controls was 44.3 (±11.1) and 42.8 (±14.8) years respectively. Psychological variables that were assessed such as HBM constructs, cognitive well-being, autonomy, general self-efficacy and perceived stress were all positively associated with uptake of cancer screening.

Conclusion: HBM constructs, cognitive wellbeing, perceived autonomy, stress and self-efficacy were associated with cancer screening. Special emphasis should be directed at increasing cancer awareness and dispelling the myths surrounding cancer and cancer screening at all community primary care points.