Factors influencing patient delay in individuals with haemorrhoids: A study based on theory of planned behavior and...

This study aimed to describe the status of patient delay and examine related factors affecting patient delay in individuals with haemorrhoids in mainland China, based on theory of planned behaviour and common sense model.

Studies on patient delay have mainly focused on cancer, tuberculosis and myocardial infarction, but studies on patient delay in individuals with haemorrhoids have yet to be conducted. Compared with other diseases, haemorrhoids are initially considered benign. However, if patients with haemorrhoids seek delayed medical assistance, they pay a large cost for worse symptoms because they fail to seek timely treatments compared with those who receive appropriate treatments at early stages.

A cross-sectional study design was used.

The current study was performed on 306 patients with haemorrhoids from June - October 2017. Data were collected via a self-administered pencil-and-paper survey that consisted of a multi-item questionnaire. Stepwise logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the factors of patient delay.

Middle-aged participants were more than twice more likely to report patient delay than participants in other age groups. A high level of perceived self-efficacy, a high level of illness perceptions and perceived social impact were associated with prolonged delay.

This study showed that patient delay is common among patients with haemorrhoids in China. The influencing factors of patient delay were middle-aged, illness perceptions, perceived self-efficacy, and perceived social impact.