Cancer Stigma Among 800 Saudi Citizens: A Cross-Sectional Study and Literature Review

Cancer-related stigmatization is a noteworthy phenomenon, yet it has not received sufficient attention in public health studies. Despite recent advancements in treatment and improvements in survival, the burden of stigma remains a challenging concern for individuals diagnosed with cancer.

This study aims to assess the presence of cancer stigma in the Saudi Arabian population by using the Cancer Stigma Scale (CASS).

A cross-sectional study was conducted among the general population of Saudi Arabia. Data collection was facilitated through a self-administered online questionnaire, incorporating socio-demographic variables such as age, gender, and regional residence and employing the CASS instrument to gauge the prevalent attitudes and stigmas related to cancer.

Out of the 874 participants, a majority of 87.1% were female, with 60.2% aged between 20 and 39 years. Notably, 59% reported having a close friend or family member diagnosed with cancer. The average CASS score stood at 1.59 (SD 0.39) on a 5-point scale, with an overwhelming 97.1% registering scores under 2.5, suggesting a generally low stigma perception. In dissecting the CASS components, 'severity' recorded the highest mean score (mean: 2.23), followed by 'awkwardness' (mean: 1.86) and 'financial discrimination' (mean: 1.71). 'avoidance' registered the lowest mean score at 1.11. Notably, a trend of increasing stigma was observed with advancing age, and male respondents indicated a marginally higher propensity towards stigmatizing attitudes.

In Saudi Arabia, cancer-related stigma is generally low. However, 'severity' is the most prominent stigma aspect, with 'avoidance' being the least. Older individuals and males exhibit slightly higher stigmatizing attitudes. These insights highlight the need for targeted public health efforts to address remaining stigmatization, especially based on age and gender.