Medical care-seeking and health-risk behavior in patients with head and neck cancer: the role of health value, control beliefs and psychological distress

Health behavior plays an important role in the development, detection and course of cancer of the head and neck. Relevant health behavior includes prompt medical care seeking, and smoking and drinking cessation after diagnosis. This study examines the relationship between these health behaviors and health value and control beliefs, as well as psychological distress. Two hundred and sixty-four recently diagnosed head and neck cancer patients were interviewed about their health behavior, and they filled in a questionnaire on health beliefs and psychological distress. The results showed that one-quarter (25%) of the patients had waited more than 3 months before seeking medical care, 50% had continued to smoke and 80% had continued to drink after the diagnosis. The patients, particularly those who smoked and drank before diagnosis, reported lower levels of health value and perceived health competence than a general population sample with which they were compared. Patients who engaged in patient delay reported a lack of perceived health competence. Psychological distress and lack of perceived health competence were found to be more common among patients who continued to smoke. The implications of these findings are discussed with regard to interventions aimed at promoting these specific health behaviors.