Fear of Cancer Recurrence and Health Literacy: A Review
Author Information
Author(s): Kenny-Jones Maebh, Nankivell Paul, Mehanna Hisham, Ozakinci Gozde
Primary Institution: University of Stirling; University of Birmingham
Hypothesis
What is the relationship between fear of cancer recurrence/fear of cancer progression and engagement with digital resources and health literacy?
Conclusion
Higher levels of fear of cancer recurrence are associated with lower engagement with digital resources and lower health literacy.
Supporting Evidence
- Higher fear of cancer recurrence is linked to lower engagement with digital resources.
- Lower health literacy is associated with higher levels of fear of cancer recurrence.
- Only two studies reported on the relationship between fear of cancer recurrence and digital resource engagement.
Takeaway
People who are really scared about their cancer coming back might not use helpful online resources as much, and they might not understand health information well.
Methodology
A scoping review was conducted to explore the relationship between fear of cancer recurrence/fear of cancer progression and engagement with digital resources and health literacy.
Potential Biases
Limited generalizability due to the focus on specific cancer types and small sample sizes.
Limitations
The studies included had small sample sizes and were not representative of all cancer types.
Participant Demographics
Participants included adults over 18 years old with a cancer diagnosis, with a focus on female breast cancer patients.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.046
Confidence Interval
1.004–1.585
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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