What goes up, must come down?
By Sam G Smith, on 8 September 2011
Plans to complete a Bowel Cancer Screening test reduce after exposure to the nitty gritty of the test
We all make plans to do things that are good for us, whether it is going for the Sunday morning jog, eating an extra spoonful of greens or saying no to that second (third or fourth!) drink in the pub. The problem is, when the time comes to actually doing whatever it is we’ve been promising ourselves and others to do, all those good intentions seem to disappear as quickly as they arrived. For the runners among you that have woken only to be faced with a dark and drizzly January morning, you will know what it is that I’m talking about.
So why is it that some people are able to overcome hurdles like the miserable weather, the unappealing sight boiled cabbage and the luring temptation of that extra glass of bubbly? Here at the HBRC we are particularly interested in attempting to answer that question by researching how the perception of time influences people’s behaviour. Some people are always looking towards the future and always want to be prepared for what is to come. Others just want to live for the moment and prefer not to think about what could be round the corner. Interestingly, this appears to be a relatively stable personality characteristic and it is linked to how we feel about behaving in certain ways.
We have recently shown how plans to complete a bowel cancer screening test are affected by time perceptions. Completing a bowel cancer screening kit requires overcoming some pretty immediate obstacles (handling faeces being the most obvious to spring to mind). In addition, the benefits of doing the test won’t be experienced for at least one month (when you hopefully receive a reassuring all-clear letter), or worse, in several years’ time (when you have successfully lived for five years after your bowel cancer treatment). The question we wanted to answer was whether the same people that are able to get out of bed on a cold January morning ready for a 5 mile run, are better able to overcome the short term obstacles of a bowel cancer screening test. In other words, is the ability to look towards the future influencing decisions to complete a bowel cancer screening kit?
We presented some snippets of information to over 200 volunteer middle aged adults (i.e. the group approaching screening age) and asked them after each statement to report ‘how likely it is that you would take part in the screening programme’ (see box 1 for the statements we showed people). Our findings showed how certain parts of the screening programme (e.g. completing it at home) were appreciated, and after finding this out the volunteers increased the strength of their plans. However, once participants were gradually informed about the nitty gritty of the test, people started to waiver. Motivation rapidly declined once people realised they had to collect a sample of faeces and hit a second low when they were informed that the test requires this to be done three times.
Box 1 – Description of the test |
1. The NHS has introduced a screening test for men and women of a similar age group |
2. This test can detect colorectal cancer and pre-cancerous signs of colorectal cancer |
3. This test is self-administered in your own home |
4. This test provides a simple way for you to collect small samples of your bowel motions |
5. This test involves you collecting your stools in a plastic tub and sampling them for tiny amounts of blood |
6. This test involves smearing a sample of faeces onto the test kit using a cardboard stick |
7. The test involves sampling three separate bowel movements within 14 days |
8. Pictorial description of the test |
Perhaps most interestingly is that people that prefer to live for the moment were more put off by completing it three times and by some photos explaining how to complete the test kit. This enables us to pinpoint the exact stage at which motivation is reduced the most, allowing us to intervene and help people overcome these obstacles. While this is an exciting finding (even if we do say so ourselves!), it doesn’t explain why those who prefer to stay in the present reduce their motivation faster than others. Is it because they were more put off by the short term obstacles that might affect their short term plans? Or were they just less able to see how beneficial it might be for them in the future? Our analysis seems to suggest that as always, it might be a bit of both. So back to work it is for us, but not before that five mile run I told you about. Anyone?
Reference
Von Wagner, C., Good, A., Smith, S. G., Wardle, J. (in press) Responses to procedural information about colorectal screening using Faecal Occult Blood testing: the role of consideration of future consequences. Health Expectations. DOI: 10.1111/j.1369-7625.2011.00675.x
Sam (Samuel.smith@ucl.ac.uk)
8 Responses to “What goes up, must come down?”
- 1
-
2
Patterson wrote on 29 March 2022:
Goodnews to everyone out there with different health challenges as I know there are still a lot of people suffering from different health issues and are therefore looking for solutions. I bring you Good news. There is a man called Dr Osato, a herbal practitioner who cures me from HSV2, i have suffered from this virus for the past 5 years. I got my healing by taking the herbal medicine Dr Osato sent to me to drink for two weeks and after the completion of the dosage, I went for a medical checkup and I tested Negative and my doctor confirmed with me that I was completely free from HSV2. All thanks to God for leading me to Dr Osato who was able to cure me completely from this horrible virus, I’m sharing this so that other people can know of this great healer called Dr Osato because I got to know him through Martha Jecorick post who he cured from HSV1&2 . I was made to understand that he can cure several other deadly diseases and viruses. Don’t die in ignorance or silence thinking that there is no cure for HSV1&2 or HIV and don’t let that illness take your life. Contact Dr Osato and get the cure from him. Dr Osato email is osatoherbalcure@gmail.com or WhatsApp him on +2347051705853 and His website is osatoherbalcure.wordpress.com . He cure all forms of diseases/virus {1}HIV/AIDS {2}DIABETES {3}EPILEPSY {4} CANCER or all kind {5} HPV {6} BRAIN TUMOR {7} HEPATITIS {8}COPD{9} SICKLE AND ANAEMIA {9} HSV1&2. Be kind enough to share as you read for others to know and get cured.
-
3
Thompson wrote on 13 June 2022:
Good day everyone my name is Thompson. I suffered from colon cancer for more than 4 years. I tried so many treatments but this life threatening disease won’t go. I got so confused about my health challenges. I lost so much money finding various treatment for this colon cancer. I was going through the internet when I saw some testimonies on how Dr Omosun uses herbal medicine to help people having cancer so I contacted him and explained to him how I have been suffering from the disease. He advised me to order for the herbal medicine which I did. I received the herbal medicine through DHL after 3 days. I started the herbal treatment and after weeks of using the herbal medicine I began to experience positive changes in my system. I decided to go for a test and result came back negative… I’m so happy to be free from this cancer of the colon. You can also contact him on his email:
omosunharbalhome@gmail.com
WhatsApp number +2349023705898 -
4
Henry Carlos wrote on 28 June 2022:
My mom has COPD/emphysema and has to use oxygen every night while she slept. Her doctors told her she could only hope for it to stabilize but not get any better since she smoked for thirty years of her life. After five years of this, she decided she had nothing to lose and adopted herbal plant solutions after reading Dr. Neil Bernard’s about MULTIVITAMIN HERBAL CURE. Within six months she no longer needed oxygen, and a year later her PC doctor was so surprised that he figured he had somehow misdiagnosed her even though she got a second opinion before investing in the oxygen machine. She lost almost fifty pounds and could finally walk and do yoga which only compounded her progress. The herbal formula has a great improvement in my mom’s lung condition and will highly recommend this to anybody suffering from COPD emphysema.Their website is multivitamincare org (or Call/SMS): +1 -956- 758-7882
-
5
Wilson Fox wrote on 13 July 2022:
I suffered from what they called peripheral artery disease (PAD). I have been suffering for years, Me and my wife searched for a medical cure, and then we came across a testimony of a man who suffered the same and was cured by Dr Chief Lucky. So my wife and I contacted Dr Chief Lucky via an email and thank God he replied. I explained what was wrong and he sent me herbal medicines that helped heal me completely. I am happy to say that herbal medicine is the ultimate and Dr Chief Lucky I am grateful. You can contact him on his email: chiefdrlucky@gmail.com or whatsapp: +2348132777335, Dr Chief Lucky said that he also specializes in the following diseases: LUPUS, ALS, CANCER, HPV, HERPES, DIABETES, COPD, HEPATITIS B, HIV AIDS, And more.
-
6
Jessica Ferguson wrote on 6 October 2022:
I was cured of Herpes all thanks to an African herbalist Dr. Ogono. I bought the herbs from him with so much uncertainty but the herbs works like magic. I am completely free of herpes. For all kind of infectious diseases please contact Dr. Ogono via email: drogonoherbalhealing111@gmail.com or via WhatsApp: +2348034876746
-
7
Junga wrote on 23 November 2022:
Hello, my name is (Brigitte Junga) I want to give a testimony on how I got cured of the (Herpes) Virus. A few month back I had some symptoms. I went to see a doctor and many blood tests were done on me, later on, I was told I had (Herpes). My doctor told me that there’s no cure for (Herpes) I felt bad, I went online searching for a possible cure for (Herpes Virus), I saw a post by Dr. Olta a herbal doctor that’s helping people get cured of (HIV)-(HEPATITIS-B)-(CANCER) e.t.c. I contacted him and told him how I’m feeling he said his herbal medicine can cure me. He sent me the medicine via Courier Service and I received the medicine some days after he sent it, I took medicine as prescribed by him. Before the completion of the medication, the symptoms stopped. I went to the doctor and carried out another blood test, surprisingly I was Negative. I haven’t had any symptoms anymore. Dr.Olta is great. You can contact him at this Email: (oltaspellcaster@live.com / WhatsApp: +2348023063326)
-
8
Olerato Phillips wrote on 28 November 2022:
l am a living testifier who Dr AKHIGBE have help of my skin disease problem which I have been suffering for the past 2 years now, I have been moving from puller to post, from hospital to hospital but all to no avail not until the day I came across a herbalist Dr AKHIGBE on page and I explain my problem to him and he told me not to worry that he is there for me and he send me the herbal medicine that will cured my skin disease so when I receive the medicine he gave me step by direction on how to use the herbal medicine and I drank from it as he instructed me then I was cured without no side effects thanks to you doctor. Thanks He told me he also cure sickness like Hepatitis, B, Skin disease, Stomach, Ulcer, Asthma, Fibroid, Acute waist pain, Cancer of the breast, Affliction, infertility, ALS, Chest pain, HIV, Hsv1&2, HPV , MS, Love spells. contact him on whatsapp +2349021374574 or email drakhigbeherbalhome5@gmail.com.
Or were they just less able to see how beneficial it might be for them in the future? Our analysis seems to suggest that as always, it might be a bit of both. So back to work it is for us, but not before that five mile run I told you about. Anyone?