Table 3 Perception of barriers to presentation by socio-demographic group (n=38 630)

From: Cancer symptom awareness and barriers to symptomatic presentation in England—are we clear on cancer?

 

Barriers to symptomatic presentation, OR (99% CI)

 

Too embarrassed

Too scared

Not confident to talk

Worry about what GP may find

Worry about other things

Transport difficulties

Too busy

Worry about wasting GP’s time

Difficulty talking to GP

Difficulty making appointment

Gender a

Men

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

Women

1.19* (1.11–1.28)

1.40* (1.31–1.50)

1.21* (1.11–1.32)

1.24* (1.17–1.32)

1.17* (1.08–1.25)

1.11 (0.99–1.25)

0.97 (0.90–1.03)

1.24* (1.16–1.32)

1.14* (1.06–1.24)

1.21* (1.15–1.29)

Age group (years) a

15–34

2.07* (1.88–2.28)

1.82* (1.67–1.98)

2.05* (1.83–2.30)

1.51* (1.40–1.63)

2.30* (2.09–2.53)

1.24* (1.06–1.44)

3.07* (2.79–3.38)

1.27* (1.17–1.38)

1.83* (1.64–2.03)

1.37* (1.27–1.49)

35–54

1.43* (1.31–1.57)

1.39* (1.28–1.51)

1.38* (1.23–1.54)

1.21* (1.13–1.30)

1.99* (1.82–2.18)

0.93 (0.80–1.07)

2.56* (2.34–2.80)

1.24* (1.15–1.34)

1.35* (1.22–1.49)

1.38* (1.28–1.48)

55–74

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

75+

0.91 (0.75–1.09)

0.84* (0.74–0.99)

0.97 (0.77–1.21)

0.86* (0.75–0.99)

0.71* (0.57–0.87)

2.30* (1.87–2.82)

0.55* (0.44–0.69)

0.81* (0.70–0.95)

0.83 (0.67–1.03)

0.82* (0.71–0.95)

Quintile of area income deprivation a

1 (Most affluent)

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

2

1.12 (0.97–1.29)

1.00 (0.88–1.14)

1.09 (0.92–1.30)

1.09 (0.97–1.22)

0.89 (0.78–1.02)

1.35* (1.05–1.74)

0.95 (0.83–1.08)

1.01 (0.89–1.14)

1.11 (0.94–1.31)

1.06 (0.94–1.20)

3

1.06 (0.93–1.22)

1.00 (0.89–1.13)

1.09 (0.93–1.28)

1.04 (0.94–1.16)

0.89 (0.79–1.01)

1.49* (1.18–1.88)

0.92 (0.82–1.04)

0.91 (0.82–1.03)

1.15 (0.99–1.33)

1.04 (0.93–1.16)

4

1.14 (0.99–1.30)

1.09 (0.97–1.23)

1.11 (0.95–1.30)

1.14* (1.02–1.27)

0.86* (0.76–0.98)

1.52* (1.21–1.92)

0.82* (0.72–0.92)

0.92 (0.82–1.03)

1.14 (0.98–1.32)

1.07 (0.96–1.19)

5 (Most deprived)

1.22* (1.08–1.39)

1.09 (0.97–1.22)

1.08 (0.93–1.25)

1.12* (1.02–1.25)

0.78* (0.69–0.87)

1.51* (1.27–1.88)

0.73* (0.65–0.81)

0.89* (0.80–0.99)

1.08 (0.94–1.24)

1.03 (0.93–1.14)

Education b

With degree

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

No degree

1.20* (1.09–1.33)

1.24* (1.13–1.35)

1.39* (1.22–1.58)

1.18* (1.09–1.28)

0.79* (0.72–0.87)

1.34* (1.11–1.61)

0.61* (0.56–0.67)

1.02 (0.94–1.11)

1.13* (1.01–1.27)

0.98 (0.90–1.06)

Missing

1.25* (1.11–1.40)

1.01 (0.91–1.13)

2.15* (1.87–2.47)

1.16* (1.05–1.27)

1.58* (1.42–1.75)

2.25* (1.85–2.74)

1.25* (1.13–1.38)

0.96 (0.87–1.05)

1.57* (1.38–1.78)

1.25* (1.14–1.37)

Employment b

Employed

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

Unemployed

1.23* (1.11–1.35)

1.15* (1.06–1.26)

1.30* (1.16–1.46)

1.13* (1.04–1.22)

0.88* (0.80–0.97)

1.59* (1.34–1.89)

0.51* (0.46–0.57)

0.99 (0.91–1.08)

1.24* (1.11–1.38)

0.87* (0.81–0.95)

Retired

0.94 (0.82–1.08)

0.83* (0.73–0.94)

0.87 (0.74–1.04)

0.85* (0.76–0.94)

0.58* (0.50–0.67)

1.35* (1.09–1.67)

0.34* (0.29–0.40)

0.95 (0.85–1.07)

0.81* (0.69–0.94)

0.76* (0.69–0.85)

Missing

1.17* (1.06–1.28)

0.86* (0.79–0.94)

1.76* (1.58–1.97)

1.02 (0.94–1.10)

1.70* (1.56–1.85)

2.23* (1.91–2.60)

1.35* (1.24–1.45)

0.95 (0.87–1.03)

1.49* (1.35–1.65)

1.20* (1.11–1.29)

Marital status b

Married

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

1.00

Single

1.19* (1.08–1.31)

1.22* (1.11–1.33)

1.34* (1.19–1.52)

1.11* (1.03–1.21)

0.87* (0.79–0.97)

1.37* (1.15–1.64)

0.84* (0.76–0.93)

0.94 (0.85–1.02)

1.28* (1.14–1.43)

0.93 (0.86–1.02)

Separated

0.97 (0.87–1.09)

1.08 (0.97–1.19)

1.20* (1.04–1.39)

1.07 (0.98–1.17)

0.91 (0.81–1.03)

1.62* (1.36–1.93)

0.83* (0.73–0.93)

0.99 (0.90–1.09)

1.26* (1.11–1.44)

1.08 (0.98–1.18)

Missing

1.15* (1.05–1.27)

0.93 (0.85–1.02)

1.89* (1.69–2.11)

1.07 (0.99–1.16)

1.84* (1.69–2.01)

2.14* (1.84–2.49)

1.69* (1.55–1.84)

0.98 (0.89–1.06)

1.61* (1.45–1.79)

1.28* (1.18–1.39)

  1. Abbreviations: CI=confidence interval; GP=general practitioner/doctor; OR odds ratio.
  2. All models included: age group, gender and area income deprivation.
  3. *P-value<0.001.
  4. aThese estimates were derived from a model including age, gender and area income deprivation. Each model was adjusted for the other two co-variables, respectively.
  5. bThese estimates were derived from a model including age, gender and area income deprivation adjustment, as well as one of the three co-variables: marital status, education employment.
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