Table 5 Reasons for putting off going to the doctor with a potentially serious symptom (% responding ‘yes sometimes’ or ‘yes often’) by sex and ethnic group
From: Awareness of cancer symptoms and anticipated help seeking among ethnic minority groups in England
All groups | Indian | Pakistani | Bangladeshi | Caribbean | African | Chinese | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
n =1500 | Men n =233 | Women n =234 | Men n =167 | Women n =166 | Men n =66 | Women n =60 | Men n =118 | Women n =134 | Men n =104 | Women n =112 | Men n =54 | Women n =52 | |
Emotional barriers | |||||||||||||
Worried about what doctor might find | 41.2 | 42.5 | 56.0 | 36.5 | 44.0 | 31.8 | 36.7 | 31.4 | 49.3 | 18.3 | 24.1 | 57.4 | 59.6 |
Too embarrassed | 35.9 | 22.7 | 33.8 | 33.5 | 58.4 | 31.8 | 81.7 | 35.6 | 42.5 | 24.0 | 20.5 | 37.0 | 30.8 |
Too scared | 32.4 | 26.6 | 30.3 | 35.9 | 49.4 | 16.7 | 25.0 | 29.7 | 45.5 | 25.0 | 21.4 | 40.7 | 32.7 |
Would not feel confident talking about symptom | 29.7 | 32.2 | 30.8 | 20.4 | 36.7 | 24.2 | 33.3 | 37.3 | 39.6 | 17.3 | 21.4 | 24.1 | 30.8 |
Practical barriers | |||||||||||||
Too many other things to worry about | 36.7 | 37.8 | 49.1 | 37.7 | 44.0 | 40.9 | 53.3 | 28.8 | 25.4 | 13.5 | 19.6 | 46.3 | 46.2 |
Too busy to make time | 35.4 | 45.1 | 37.2 | 38.9 | 35.5 | 43.9 | 31.7 | 35.6 | 25.4 | 16.3 | 21.4 | 50.0 | 44.2 |
Difficult to arrange transport | 18.1 | 17.2 | 17.1 | 17.4 | 28.9 | 16.7 | 16.7 | 16.1 | 20.9 | 8.7 | 6.3 | 29.6 | 26.9 |
Service barriers | |||||||||||||
Difficult to make an appointment | 39.5 | 33.9 | 40.6 | 46.1 | 47.0 | 42.4 | 40.0 | 43.2 | 42.5 | 28.8 | 23.2 | 44.4 | 46.2 |
Worry about wasting doctor's time | 27.5 | 20.6 | 41.9 | 28.1 | 39.2 | 25.8 | 40.0 | 25.4 | 27.6 | 8.7 | 9.8 | 25.9 | 23.1 |
Doctor would be difficult to talk to | 26.6 | 21.5 | 26.9 | 24.6 | 34.3 | 30.3 | 41.7 | 28.0 | 20.1 | 12.5 | 20.5 | 38.9 | 50.8 |
