Psychosocial determinants of intention to seek palliative care among the public in lebanon: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the psychosocial determinants of intention to seek palliative care for the client themselves, or intention to enroll a family member in palliative care among the public in Lebanon. Methods: A cross-sectional study was initiated in 2020 on a convenience sample of adults permanently living in the Greater Beirut (GB) area; people with no current or previous experience with palliative care either for themselves or for someone dear to them were included. Verbal consent was obtained before data collection, and participants received a questionnaire to be self-completed, statistical analysis was performed using SPSS statistics version 23.0. Results: A total of 875 participants with a mean age of 42 years were interviewed, of whom 24 participants (2.7%) had had a previous experience with PC, either personally or with someone very close to them. The best-fit multivariate predictive model for intention to use PC included older age, positive attitude, and higher perceived control on one’s health. The multivariate model for intention to recommend use was significantly associated with a positive attitude, higher perceived control, and lower perceived barriers. Conclusions: Promotional activities should be conducted to provide the Lebanese public with accurate, detailed, and direct information about the benefits of PC, involving essentially physicians. Future research should explore the decision-making process in “real-time” situations, and within our specific psychosocial, cultural, and organizational context.