Introduction
Medical embarrassment is a common experience that can have a significant impact on people’s health. It can lead to people delaying or avoiding seeking medical care, which can have serious consequences for their health.
There are a number of different ways to measure medical embarrassment. One common method is to use a questionnaire. Medical embarrassment questionnaires (MEQs) are a type of self-report questionnaire that asks people about their experiences with medical embarrassment.
History of MEQs
The first MEQ was developed in the early 1980s by researchers at the University of Michigan. The questionnaire was designed to measure people’s experiences with medical embarrassment in a variety of settings, including doctor’s offices, hospitals, and clinics.
Since the development of the first MEQ, a number of other MEQs have been developed. These questionnaires have been used to study medical embarrassment in a variety of populations, including adults, adolescents, and children.
Related Characteristics of MEQs
MEQs typically measure a variety of different aspects of medical embarrassment, including:
- The frequency of medical embarrassment
- The severity of medical embarrassment
- The impact of medical embarrassment on people’s health
- The factors that contribute to medical embarrassment
Academic Studies about MEQs
MEQs have been used in a number of academic studies to investigate the nature and impact of medical embarrassment. Some of the findings from these studies include:
- Medical embarrassment is a common experience. Studies have found that up to 80% of people experience medical embarrassment at some point in their lives.
- Medical embarrassment can have a significant impact on people’s health. Studies have found that medical embarrassment can lead to people delaying or avoiding seeking medical care, which can have serious consequences for their health.
- There are a number of factors that can contribute to medical embarrassment, including:
- The nature of the medical condition
- The social context of the medical encounter
- The patient’s personality
- The patient’s cultural background
Other Related Terms
- Health literacy: Health literacy is the ability to understand and use health information. People with low health literacy are more likely to experience medical embarrassment.
- Social desirability bias: Social desirability bias is the tendency to answer questions in a way that is perceived to be socially desirable. Social desirability bias can lead to people underreporting their experiences with medical embarrassment.
Consedine‚ Nathan S.‚ Krivoshekova‚ Yulia S. and Harris‚ Christine R. (2007). Bodily embarrassment and judgment concern as separable factors in the measurement of medical embarrassment: Psychometric development and links to treatment-seeking outcomes. British Journal of Health Psychology‚ 12(3)‚ 439–462.
Consedine‚ N. S.‚ Ladwig‚ I.‚ Reddig‚ M. K.‚ & Broadbent‚ E. A. (2011). The many faeces of colorectal cancer screening embarrassment: Preliminary psychometric development and links to screening outcome. British Journal of Health Psychology‚ 16‚ 559-579.