New Delhi: In a shocking study, a worrisome trend has been noticed in India that revealed over 60 per cent of the population in India fears of developing cancer. India faces a major challenge of a sizable number of cancer cases that continues to grow even more. According to estimates, India’s reported cancer incidence in 2022 is to be 19 to 20 lakhs while the actual incidence is 1.5 to 3 times more than the reported cases.
As per the survey, over 60 per cent of the population in India is frightened of developing the deadly disease, transcending demographic, age, gender and socio-economic obstacles. The cancer study has been conducted by GoQii, reported TOI.
The survey has been published in the report, titled “Living in Fear: The Hidden Epidemic of Cancer Anxiety Among the Public.” About 1,250 people were surveyed for the study and drew data from the company’s user base of over 5 million. Going in-depth, it was found that 60 per cent of the respondents showed “moderate to extreme worry” about developing the disease and 24 per cent showed fear of death from the disease.
Reasons behind the rise in fears
According to the study, reasons behind the lingering fear revealed that 56 per cent of the respondents said that environmental factors such as pollution and radiation as the major contributors to the risk of cancer, while 27.6 per cent linked it to anxiety to poor lifestyle choices like smoking and poor diets. On the other hand, shockingly the report also highlighted that 70 per cent of respondents had never undergone a screening or cancer test in the last five years which showed a major gap in proactive health management.
According to the researchers, the fear of cancer and anxiety is real and affects millions of people across India in such a way that it extends beyond physical health. The data also shows that there is a need for a major change in the healthcare industry and more advancement in the healthcare sectors to ensure that accessibility to cancer treatment is easier.
As per the survey, over 60 per cent of the population in India is frightened of developing the deadly disease, transcending demographic, age, gender and socio-economic obstacles. Health Conditions Health News: Latest News from Health Care, Mental Health, Weight Loss, Disease, Nutrition, Healthcare
