The Sick Role of Senior Citizen Cancer Patients in Sri Lanka: A Sociological Perspective

As the fastest-aging nation in South Asia, Sri Lanka faces significant challenges in addressing the welfare of senior cancer patients, who make up over 60% of cancer cases and are often diagnosed at advanced stages due to insufficient screening services. The theory of Sick Role explains the rights and obligations of patients. This study examines the sick role of senior cancer patients and how demographic factors impact the sick role of them within Sri Lanka's state healthcare system. Using a mixed-methods approach, including twenty interviews, ten case studies, and a survey of 262 patients from the National Institute of Cancer and oncology clinics across five districts, the research explores the sick role from an ‘emic’ perspective and analyses data with NVivo software. Findings reveal that factors such as education, employment status, and living conditions influence the sick role, while gender shows no significant effect. A majority of patients (72.9%) are disengaged from normal duties and rely predominantly on the biomedical model of care (78.8%). Most patients (88%) maintain a positive attitude toward the legitimate authority of healthcare workers showing goodwill towards state healthcare system, and rely on family support for caregiving. Although many seniors accept their sick role due to old age facilitating self-acceptance, a small proportion resist this role due to internal or external factors. The study highlights the importance of understanding these dynamics to improve the welfare and support systems for senior cancer patients in Sri Lanka.