Cancer as the "perfect storm"? A qualitative study of public attitudes to health conditions.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

Our aim is to identify important attributes of major diseases that shape how they are perceived by the public.

Methods and results

Four focus groups among members of the public were recruited, in March and October 2016, and used semistructured discussion to explore important attributes of cancer, heart disease, stroke, dementia, mental illness, and infectious disease. Common themes were identified by using inductive thematic analysis.Five themes were identified: fear, impact on family and friends, hope, detection, and prevention. Fear of cancer includes not only fear of death but also of aggressive treatments. Loss of dignity is feared in dementia, while infectious disease raises fear of uncontrollable "plague"; in contrast, people with mental illness may themselves be

SUBMITTER: Morrell L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6034427 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature