title: Factors influencing delay in treatment seeking by first-time attenders at a genitourinary clinic.
abstract: We examined treatment-seeking behaviours amongst a consecutive sample of 188 first-time attenders at a busy genitourinary (GU) clinic in a general hospital. Participants were interviewed and completed a battery of questionnaires prior to receiving diagnosis or treatment. Delay in treatment seeking was measured in 3 ways: utilization delay, illness behaviour delay and appraisal delay. Appraisal delay and illness behaviour were significantly related, but were unrelated to utilization delay. Substantial delays were reported before seeking treatment, with a median of 30 days elapsing between first noticing symptoms and attending the clinic. Analysis of age groups indicated that the oldest groups--45 and above were likely to delay longest, on all 3 measures of delay.
authors.affiliation: Staffordshire University, Stoke-on-Trent, UK.
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Pitts
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Woolliscroft
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cannon
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003657:Decision Making; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009819:Office Visits; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires