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Barriers to medical help-seeking among older men with prostate cancer

Medina-Perucha, L. and Yousaf, O. and Hunter, M.S. and Grunfeld, Elizabeth (2017) Barriers to medical help-seeking among older men with prostate cancer. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology 35 (5), pp. 531-543. ISSN 0734-7332.

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Abstract

Objective: Men's disinclination to seek medical help has been linked to higher rates of morbidity and mortality compared to women. However, previous studies were conducted predominantly with healthy, young, and middle-aged men. We explored the perceived medical barriers to help-seeking in older men with prostate cancer. Method: 20 men with prostate cancer took part in semistructured interviews, which were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Three themes were identified related to negative attitudes toward help-seeking: male gender role; fear of the health condition, medical and treatment procedures; and embarrassment as a consequence of medical examinations, communication with health (and nonhealth) professionals, and the disclosure of sexual-related symptoms. Conclusion: The barriers identified in our study strengthen the evidence for the impact of traditional masculinity on help-seeking in men.

Metadata

Item Type: Article
Keyword(s) / Subject(s): help-seeking, masculinity, men, prostate cancer, thematic analysis
School: Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Science > School of Psychological Sciences
Depositing User: Administrator
Date Deposited: 05 Oct 2017 12:15
Last Modified: 25 Jul 2025 17:59
URI: https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/19925

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