Table 1 |
|
| Questionnaire dimensions and items | |
| 1. Means of problem identification (self discovery or screening) | |
| 2. First symptom identified by the patient | |
| 3. Patient initial interpretations of symptoms | |
| Perceived seriousness | Initial worry |
| Initial interpretation of cancer | |
| 4. Breast cancer symptoms present at arrival to the cancer hospital | |
| Lymphadenopathies | Breast ulcer |
| Breast pain | Breast pruritus |
| Arm pain | Breast enlargement |
| Paresthesias of breast and/or ipsilateral arm | Form changes of the breast |
| Breast skin changes | Nipple discharge |
| 5. Most worrisome symptom for the patient | |
| 6. Patient's reason for seeking medical care (appearance of symptoms/persistence of symptoms/worsening of symptoms) | |
| 7. Patient's perception of delay | |
| Perception of patient delay | Perception of provider delay |
| 8. Patient's perceived reasons for patient delay | |
| Thought symptoms would resolve alone | Carelessness/neglect |
| Didn't know where to seek care | Fear |
| Lack of financial resources | Embarrassment |
| Difficulty to miss work | Taking care of young children, older or ill relatives |
| 9. Patient's perceived barriers to have caused provider delay | |
| Lack of information of health services | Lack of financial resources |
| Fear | Difficulty to miss work |
| Perceived errors in diagnosis of first doctors consulted | Perceived long waiting times for medical appointments |
| Had to take care of youngsters, elders or ill relatives | Had to borrow money to get medical care |
| Financing source for payment of health care | |
| 10. Health service utilization | |
| First health service used (public, private, other) | Breast ultrasound requested by first doctor consulted |
| Number of different health services consulted | Biopsy requested by first consulted doctor |
| Diagnostic impression of the first doctor consulted | Health service of referral to hospital |
| Mammogram requested by the first consulted doctor | Biopsy done previous to arrival at hospital |
| 11. Social network support for seeking medical attention | |
| Instrumental support | Sex of person of most support |
| Emotional support | Size of network activated for breast problem |
| Recommendations to consult a doctor | Sex of social network members |
| Financial support | Kinship with members of her social network |
| Company to medical consultations | Sex of first person who she told |
| Kinship with person of most support | Number of women older than 15 living at same household |
| 12. Time between identification of the problem and the first time to talk to someone about it | |
| 13. Use of alternative medicine | |
| 14. Cancer-related knowledge | |
| Knowledge of a person with cancer | Has heard about mammograms |
| Knowledge of mammograms' utility | Knowledge of recommended age for first screening mammogram |
| 15. Cancer screening practices | |
| Last Pap smear | Screening Breast Clinical Exam before current breast problem |
| Mammograms before current breast problem | Breast Self Examination practice |
| 16. Dates | |
| Symptom discovery | First medical consultation |
Unger-Saldaña et al. BMC Cancer 2012 12:626 doi:10.1186/1471-2407-12-626
