Utility of the Modified Health Belief Model in Predicting Compliance with Treatment by Adult Patients with Advanced Cancer

Abstract

The purpose of this study was twofold. The primary purpose was to assess why some adult patients with advanced cancer who attend local outpatient clinics used unorthodox cancer therapies while others did not. Another purpose was to survey the prevalence of use of such unorthodox treatment by these patients. A questionnaire was developed based on the Health Belief Model, with an emphasis on cancer treatment. In addition, locus of control questions were developed to measure the participants' locus-of-control orientation about cancer treatment. Also included were attitude questions based on Ajzen and Fishbein's value-expectancy model, to measure the difficulty which barriers to treatment (e.g., cost, side effects) caused the respondents. The final test had eight subscales and demographic questions. Internal reliabilities ranged from .56 to .88. Stepwise multiple regression analyses showed that the variables which accounted for the largest portion of explained variance (10%) of use of unorthodox therapies were knowledge, attitudes, and education. The incidence of unorthodox cancer treatments was 23%. Also, the user of unorthodox therapies was likely to be younger, better educated, more knowledgeable concerning cancer treatments, and had more negative attitudes toward the barriers to cancer treatment.