Cultural Capital, Stigma, Class, and Hospice Care Access Among Low-Income Patients With Cancer

What factors are associated with decreased access to hospice care for low-income patients with cancer in China?In this qualitative study of 16 low-income patients with advanced cancer, limited cultural capital, pervasive stigma, and socioeconomic hardship emerged as interconnected barriers that were jointly associated with restricted access to hospice care. Informal coping strategies were associated with some relief but not with overcoming structural exclusion.These findings suggest that equitable hospice access for socioeconomically disadvantaged patients may require integrated interventions that address informational, psychosocial, and financial barriers simultaneously.

Corresponding Author: Chao Yan, MSN, Nursing Department, Guizhou Aerospace Hospital (Affiliated Aerospace Hospital of Zunyi Medical University), No. 149, Dalian Road, Huichuan District, Zunyi City, Guizhou Province, China Guizhou Zunyi, 563000, China (muyanchao0520@163.com).

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