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Home / American Journal of Health Behavior, Volume 39, Number 2

Open Access Men's Help-seeking Behavior with Regards to Lower Bowel Symptoms

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Objective: To explore the barriers to help-seeking among men experiencing lower bowel symptoms. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 men recruited via purposive sampling. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed, and analyzed thematically. Results: Misinterpretation of the symptoms and the attribution of the symptoms to non-medical causes were common barriers to help-seeking. Other barriers include the cost of consulting a GP, llow level of confidence in consultation, and fear of cancer diagnosis. Some participants did not seek medical advice as the symptoms were intermittent or resolved with over-the-counter medications. Conclusion: There is a need for health promotion campaigns for men with regards to seeking timely medical advice for lower bowel symptoms.

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Keywords: ANDERSEN'S MODEL OF PATIENT DELAY; HELP SEEKING; LOWER BOWEL SYMPTOMS; MEN'S HEALTH

Document Type: Research Article

Affiliations: 1: Department of Medical Education, Curtin University, WA, Australia. [email protected] 2: Department of Medical Education, Curtin University, WA, Australia 3: Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, WA, Australia 4: Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia

Publication date: March 1, 2015

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  • The American Journal of Health Behavior seeks to improve the quality of life through multidisciplinary health efforts in fostering a better understanding of the multidimensional nature of both individuals and social systems as they relate to health behaviors.

    The Journal aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the impact of personal attributes, personality characteristics, behavior patterns, social structure, and processes on health maintenance, health restoration, and health improvement; to disseminate knowledge of holistic, multidisciplinary approaches to designing and implementing effective health programs; and to showcase health behavior analysis skills that have been proven to affect health improvement and recovery.

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