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.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Journal of Psychosocial Oncology |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Apr 2017 |
Keywords
- help-seeking
- masculinity
- men
- prostate cancer
- thematic analysis