Table 3 The relationship between the socio-demographic and health-related characteristics of survey respondents and their prompted cancer signs and symptoms awareness (linear regression)
Multiple linear regression | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mean (SD) | Difference in mean (95% CI) | p | Adjusted difference in meana (95% CI) | p | |
Gender | |||||
Male | 5.6 (3.3) | Reference | Reference | 0.297 | |
Female | 6.0 (3.2) | 0.45 (0.15; 0.74) | 0.003 | 0.18 (−0.15; 0.51) | |
Age | |||||
40–49 years | 5.9 (3.2) | Reference | Reference | ||
50–59 years | 5.9 (3.3) | 0.04 (− 0.32; 0.39) | 0.841 | 0.11 (− 0.25; 0.46) | 0.556 |
60 + years | 4.9 (3.5) | − 0.99 (−1.48; − 0.50) | < 0.001 | −0.63 (−1.14; − 0.12) | 0.016 |
Ethnicity | |||||
Malay | 5.9 (3.2) | Reference | Reference | ||
Chinese | 5.7 (3.2) | −0.19 (− 0.50; 0.12) | 0.238 | − 0.32 (− 0.63; − 0.01) | 0.044 |
Indian | 5.9 (3.4) | − 0.02 (− 0.56; 0.52) | 0.949 | −0.14 (− 0.67; 0.39) | 0.609 |
Others | 4.3 (3.2) | − 1.60 (−2.48; − 0.71) | < 0.001 | −2.01 (−2.09; − 0.26) | 0.011 |
Education level | |||||
No formal education | 2.0 (2.1) | Reference | Reference | ||
Primary | 4.6 (3.5) | 2.55 (1.27; 3.83) | < 0.001 | 2.32 (1.00; 3.64) | < 0.001 |
Secondary | 5.8 (3.3) | 3.76 (2.57; 4.96) | < 0.001 | 3.37 (2.09; 4.65) | < 0.001 |
Tertiary | 6.2 (2.9) | 4.15 (2.94; 5.35) | < 0.001 | 3.72 (2.41; 5.02) | < 0.001 |
Marital Status | |||||
Married | 5.8 (3.3) | Reference | Reference | ||
Not married | 5.4 (2.8) | −0.43 (−0.88; 0.01) | 0.057 | −0.60 (−1.04; − 0.15) | 0.009 |
Transport ownership | |||||
None | 4.2 (3.5) | Reference | Reference | ||
Yes, one | 5.8 (3.3) | 1.60 (0.91; 2.30) | < 0.001 | 0.60 (− 0.12; 1.33) | 0.102 |
Yes, more than one | 5.9 (3.1) | 1.68 (0.97; 2.39) | < 0.001 | 0.47 (− 0.28; 1.22) | 0.219 |
Smoking | |||||
Current smoker | 4.9 (3.2) | Reference | Reference | ||
Ex-smoker | 5.9 (3.2) | 1.01 (0.33; 1.68) | 0.004 | 0.98 (0.31; 1.66) | 0.004 |
Never smoked | 6.0 (3.2) | 1.06 (0.68; 1.43) | < 0.001 | 0.89 (0.48; 1.31) | < 0.001 |
Self-related health | |||||
Fair to very poor | 5.9 (3.3) | Reference | Reference | ||
Good to very good | 5.7 (3.2) | −0.13 (− 0.46; 0.20) | 0.433 | − 0.31 (− 0.63; 0.01) | 0.060 |
Access to doctor | |||||
Easy | 5.8 (3.2) | Reference | Reference | ||
Difficult | 5.0 (3.5) | −0.85 (−1.57; − 0.12) | 0.022 | − 0.54 (− 1.26; 0.18) | 0.143 |
Experience with cancer | |||||
Yes | 6.1 (3.0) | Reference | Reference | ||
No | 5.7 (3.2) | −0.42 (− 0.79; − 0.06) | 0.022 | − 0.38 (− 0.75; − 0.02) | 0.041 |