One third of people in Northern Ireland fail to get potential cancer symptoms checked out by their doctor because they fear they will be wasting the doctor’s time, according to a recent survey. The study compared the levels of cancer awareness across eight EU countries, and found that the number of Northern Irish failing to visit their GP because of embarrassment was three times higher than Denmark. The research shows up a real wellness risk in Northern Ireland, where the pain and suffering of cancer could be greatly reduced by the early detection of the disease.
The comparative survey queried whether survival rates could be influenced by the population’s attitudes towards the disease. Researchers attempted to judge the levels of awareness of the symptoms of cancer. The rate of knowledge about cancer among Northern Ireland’s population was impressively high, with participants recognising an average of nine out of eleven of the signs of cancer. It seems surprising, therefore, that so few of these well-informed citizens would actually report the signs to their doctor if discovered.
Researchers in Belfast examined the attitudes of over 2,000 men and women of age 50 or above. They found that a ‘significantly’ higher number of people would be hesitant to report the signs of cancer to their doctor because they were worried what he might find during the check-up. Commentators on the study discuss embarrassment and the fear of wasting their doctor’s time as the main causes of this result. Dr. Anna Gavin from Belfast’s own Queen’s University put it down to ‘negative barriers and a fatalistic attitude’ concerning the topic of cancer. Many people still think of cancer as a death sentence, and this initiates all kind of avoidance tactics in their behaviour.
It is to be hoped that the study will drive governments to make healthcare and cancer screening more present in the public consciousness. When your wellbeing is at stake, it is no time to worry about troubling your doctor; after all your wellness is exactly his job description! Only the cultivation of a positive and open attitude towards health can reverse this worrying statistic. A sense of responsibility towards one’s own health is the main objective, and our health and welfare systems should be there to serve us in achieving this.
Comments are closed.