ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Identifying what prompts or hinders women's help-seeking behaviour is essential to ensure timely diagnosis and management of gynaecological cancers. AIM: To understand the factors that influence the help-âseeking behaviour of women diagnosed with gynaecological cancer. DESIGN AND SETTING: Systematic review and narrative synthesis of studies from high-income settings worldwide. METHOD: Five databases were searched for studies, of any design, that presented factors related to the help-seeking behaviour of women diagnosed with a gynaecological cancer. Data from the articles were extracted and presented using narrative synthesis, which was both inductive and deductive. The COM-B (capability, opportunity, motivation, behaviour) model of behaviour change was used as a framework. RESULTS: In total, 21 studies were included in the review. Inductive synthesis presented three main themes of factors related to the help-seeking behaviour of women diagnosed with gynaecological cancer: patient factors, such as knowledge of symptoms; emotional factors, including previous healthcare experience, embarrassment, and trust; and practical factors, including time and resources. Deductive synthesis demonstrated that capability (namely, symptom knowledge), opportunity (having the required time and overcoming the cultural taboos surrounding gynaecological symptoms), and motivation (believing that seeking help is beneficial) are all required to initiate help-seeking behaviour. CONCLUSION: Although it is a journey of defined steps, the help-âseeking behaviour of women with symptoms diagnosed with gynaecological cancer is influenced by personal and societal factors. Interventions to improve help seeking will need to address the specific identified factors, as well as capability, opportunity, and motivation.
Subject(s)
Genital Neoplasms, Female , Help-Seeking Behavior , Female , Humans , Patient Acceptance of Health Care/psychology , Genital Neoplasms, Female/diagnosis , Genital Neoplasms, Female/therapy , MotivationABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to worsen the global problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). There is a heightened interest in understanding this effect and to develop antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) interventions accordingly to curb this threat. Our paper aims to evaluate the potential magnitude of COVID-19 on AMR and AMS with a focus on the countries of the Arab league, given the social, political, and economic environments. We also evaluate obstacles in applying the rational use of antibiotics, monitoring resistance trends in the midst of the pandemic, and evaluating the impact of the economic crisis in some countries. We aim to raise awareness about the potential effects of antibiotic overuse during the pandemic and to propose practical approaches to tackle this issue.