Impact of COVID-19 on health beliefs and behaviors related to the virus among patients with cancer in the French-speaking part of Switzerland: a longitudinal qualitative study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic introduced new challenges for individuals affected by cancer, influencing their subjective experience.This unprecedented public health crisis underscored the importance of understanding how beliefs about a perceived disease threat and its consequences significantly influenced health-related behaviors.This article aims to examine changes in beliefs related to the virus among patients with cancer during the pandemic and analyze how these beliefs influenced individual behaviors regarding preventive measures during a public health crisis.Methods: Using a longitudinal descriptive qualitative design, we conducted two rounds of semistructured telephone interviews with 14 adult patients with cancer in French-speaking Switzerland.The health belief model served as the framework to guide the analysis, using a deductive approach based on content analysis.Results: While cancer remained the primary concern for most patients during the pandemic, they also experienced heightened vulnerability to COVID-19 infection and its potential severity.However, they expressed a decreased susceptibility to the disease and its severity over time, primarily attributing this change to the availability of vaccinations.Vaccination (getting vaccinated) emerged as a critical factor (being vaccinated) in shaping how patients with cancer experienced the pandemic, as it fostered the belief that the risk of COVID-19 infection and its potential complications were significantly reduced. Conclusion:This study provides valuable insights into cancer patients' beliefs and actions related to the pandemic, particularly regarding preventive measures.We identified vaccination as a key behavior and modifying factor influencing individuals' beliefs.Results emphasize the importance of understanding the factors that shape these beliefs to promote vaccination acceptance and support vulnerable populations such as individuals with cancer during future health crises.