Journal of Health Literacy

Journal of Health Literacy

Investigation of Treatment Information Literacy Needs and Its Determinants among Cancer Patients in Yazd; Iran

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Najmeh Baghian 1
Fatemeh Dehghani 2
Nazanin Teymourinejad 3
Farzan Madadizadeh 4
Adel Eftekhari 5
1 Clinical Research Development Center, Shahid Rahnemoon Hospital, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
2 Instructor, MSc of Nursing, Meybod School of Medical Sciences, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
3 MSc Student of Emergency Nursing, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran.
4 Medical Informatics Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
5 Health in Emergencies and Disasters, Department of Nursing, Meybod School of Medical Sciences, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
10.22038/jhl.2026.93228.1903
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Cancer represents one of the most significant health challenges globally, imposing a considerable burden of physical, psychological, and social complications on patients and their families. Access to comprehensive and accurate information about the disease, treatment options, side effects, and management strategies is crucial for empowering patients, enhancing their involvement in treatment decisions, and improving their quality of life. This study aims to investigate the treatment information Literacy needs and Its Determinants among cancer patients in Yazd, Iran (Year 2024).

Materials and Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in 2024 among 131 patients with cancer referred to government health centers in Yazd Province, Iran. Participants were selected through multistage sampling. Data were collected using the Cancer Treatment Information Literacy Questionnaire developed by Farzin et al. (2018). This 37-item questionnaire covers six domains: medications, treatment methods, nutrition, diagnostic tests, treatment costs, and exercise. Each item was scored on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (very low) to 5 (very high). Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 27 using descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, and multiple linear regression. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: This study found the greatest information needs related to treatment costs (30.66 ± 7.60) and the least information needs regarding lab tests (11.25 ± 6.27). Regression analysis indicated that female patients (β=-17.901, p=0.022), rural residents (β=-21.601, p=0.024), and Self-employed individuals (β=-21.415, p=0.037) reported lower treatment information needs. Similarly, patients with carcinoma (β=-20.032, p=0.015) and those treated for>6 months (β=-14.823, p=0.035) showed lower needs. These findings highlight varying information needs among subgroups of cancer patients.

Conclusion: Cancer patients’ treatment information literacy needs differed across domains and demographic groups. The greatest need was related to treatment costs, while the lowest was related to laboratory tests. Therefore, patient education programs should prioritize the domains with the highest reported needs and be tailored according to patients’ demographic and clinical characteristics.
Keywords
Health Literacy
Cancer
Determinants of Health
Information Seeking Behavior
Health Services Accessibility

Acknowledgments: The authors would like to thank the centers and patients who participated in the study.


Availability of data and materials: Data analysis is in the tables of the manuscript. Data recorded in SPSS has been loaded into supplementary material.


Conflict of interest: the authors stste that there is no conflicy of interest  in the present syudy.


Consent for publication: Not applicable.


Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study received approval from the Research Ethics Committee of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences in Yazd, with the ethics code IR.SSU.REC.1402.073. Permissions were obtained from medical center officials, and informed consent was secured from participants. Sufficient information regarding the research objectives, confidentiality of information, voluntary participation, and the right to withdraw at any stage of the study was provided to all participants. The study was conducted using the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.


Funding: No financial support.


Authors' contributions: A.E and N.B were involved in preliminary design of the subject; F. D and Na.T collected data, and F.m analyzed data.

 

Open Access Policy: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Journal of Health Literacy

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 26 June 2026