Abstract
BackgroundOur study examined the use of decision-making styles, as identified by Scott and Bruce (1995) (i.e. differentiating between a rational, intuitive, dependent, avoidant and spontaneous decision-making style), within the context of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening participation. In the field of cancer screening, informed decision-making is considered important, which follows the Rational Decision model. Subsequently, gaining more insight into decision-making styles being used in real life, could improve support to people when making their screening decision. In addition, we examined whether the decision-making style that people used was associated with their experienced decisional conflict.MethodsAn online survey was carried out among a sample of first-time CRC screening invitees (1282 respondents, response rate 49%). We assessed people’s decision-making styles, CRC screening participation, education level, self-reported health literacy, and decisional conflict, and examined the possible associations between them.ResultsIn our study, people who had to decide about CRC screening scored high on using both a rational and intuitive decision-making style. Respondents scoring higher on using a spontaneous or dependent decision-making style were more likely to have participated in CRC screening, while respondents scoring higher on using an avoidant decision-making style were more likely not to have participated in CRC screening. However, differences were small. Generally, people in our study experienced low decisional conflict.ConclusionOur eligible CRC screening population scored high on using both a rational and intuitive decision-making style. To optimise support to people, public education materials could be appealing more to the intuitive processes at hand. That being said, the current education materials aimed at informed/rational decision-making do not necessarily seem to create a problem, as people generally experienced low decisional conflict. Possible concerns regarding the use of a spontaneous, dependent or avoidant decision-making style could be that these styles might be contributing to less informed decisions. However, it is relevant to consider that the found differences are small and that any possible concern applies to a relatively small group of people.
Highlights
Our study examined the use of decision-making styles, as identified by Scott and Bruce (1995), within the context of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening participation
We found that several decision-making styles showed a significant association with screening participation; respondents scoring higher on using a spontaneous or dependent decision-making style were more likely to have participated in CRC screening, while respondents scoring higher on using an avoidant decision-making style were more likely not to have participated in CRC screening
Independent of CRC screening participation or decision-making style, people in our study experienced low decisional conflict, indicating that they felt certain about their CRC screening decision and positive about its quality
Summary
Our study examined the use of decision-making styles, as identified by Scott and Bruce (1995) (i.e. differentiating between a rational, intuitive, dependent, avoidant and spontaneous decision-making style), within the context of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening participation. Every day people are confronted with health-related decisions they have to make. This can vary from decisions concerning how to achieve a healthy lifestyle to decisions concerning the treatment of existing health conditions. The decision whether or not to undergo preventive colorectal cancer (CRC) screening is a form of a health. Preventive CRC screening is aimed at healthy individuals who are not experiencing any symptoms in order to detect cancer in an early stage or precursors of it. Since January 2014, everyone in the Netherlands between the ages of 55 and 76 years old biennially receives an invitation to participate in CRC screening via a selfadministered stool test (immunochemical faecal occult blood test: iFOBT), which is payed for by the government
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