Medical mistrust, health system distrust, and their associations with healthcare delay and cancer screening attitudes in primary care.

AIM: To examine the associations of medical mistrust and health system distrust with healthcare delay behavior and cancer screening attitudes among adults attending primary care services.

METHOD: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 568 adults who attended a family health center in eastern Türkiye. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Medical Mistrust Scale, the Health System Distrust Scale, the Healthcare Demand Procrastination Scale, and the Attitude Scale for Cancer Screening. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression analyses.

RESULTS

Medical mistrust and health system distrust were positively associated with healthcare delay behavior and negatively associated with cancer screening attitudes (p < 0.001). Medical mistrust showed the strongest independent association with both healthcare delay behavior (β = 0.59) and cancer screening attitudes (β = -0.79).

CONCLUSION

The findings indicate that trust in healthcare is closely associated with healthcare utilization and preventive health attitudes. These associations highlight the potential relevance of trust-centered strategies, improved access, and patient-centered health service delivery in primary care.