Lay Etiology, Self-Efficacy and Patient Activation Among Cancer Patients

We aimed at clarifying correlations between lay etiologies, self-efficacy, and patient activation among cancer patients.Patients with different kinds of cancer answered a questionnaire on self-efficacy, lay etiology, and patient activation.639 patients participated. Psychological reasons/stress (43.3%) and destiny (41.6%) were the most cited causes. Lay etiology was influenced by demographics, self-efficacy, and patient activation. Men, younger people, and active patients more often described internal causes of cancer, women and religious patients more often external causes. Patients with higher scores of self-efficacy were more often convinced of external cancer causes.By identifying individual disease theories, physicians may improve patient-physician communication.