Knowledge and Motivators Towards Palliative Care Among Cancer Patients in a Tertiary Health Facility in Southwest Nigeria

Abstract

<title>Abstract</title> Introduction This study aimed to describe the knowledge and motivators towards palliative care among cancer patients receiving oncology care at a tertiary health facility in Nigeria. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 adult cancer patients at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria across the Radiation oncology, Gynaecological oncology, Otorhinolaryngology, Oral and Maxillofacial surgery, Surgical oncology, and medical oncology departments and/or clinics. Data were collected using the National Cancer Institute’s 2018 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 5) Cycle 2 survey questionnaire. Data were summarised using descriptive statistics. Knowledge scores were computed, and individuals with scores corresponding to &lt; 50% of the composite results were said to have poor knowledge of palliative care. A binary logistic regression model was employed to determine the predictors of good knowledge of palliative care (p &lt; 0.05). Results The mean age of the cancer patients was 51.3 ± 4.2 years and the mean length of diagnosis was 11.2 ± 2.3 months. In all, 93 (46.7%) had completed tertiary education, and 144 (72.7%) lived in an urban community. In all, 55 (27.5%) people had good knowledge of palliative care. Overall, 4 (12.9%) cancer patients with primary or no formal education had good knowledge of palliative care compared to 7 (9.5%) with secondary education and 46 (49.5%) with tertiary education (p = &lt; <bold>0.001</bold>). Also, 5 (9.3%) of those living in rural areas had good knowledge of palliative care compared to 49 (34.0%) living in urban areas (p = &lt; <bold>0.001</bold>). Cancer patients with tertiary education had 25 times higher odds of good knowledge of palliative care compared to those with primary or no formal education (AOR = 24.98, 95%CI = 2.41-258.46, p = &lt; <bold>0.001).</bold> Likewise, cancer patients that lived in urban areas had four times higher odds of good knowledge of palliative care compared to those living in rural areas (AOR = 4.39, 95%CI = 1.08–17.85, p = <bold>0.04</bold>). Conclusion Poor knowledge of palliative care exists among cancer patients. Stakeholders in the governmental and non-governmental agencies should undertake programs and schemes to increase knowledge of palliative care, especially among poorly educated persons and rural dwellers.