Research Article
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Gynecological cancer awareness and socio-demographic determinants Aamong female academic physicians: a cross-sectional study

Year 2025, Volume: 7 Issue: 6, 861 - 867, 26.10.2025
https://doi.org/10.38053/acmj.1774734

Abstract

Aims: Gynecological cancers are among the most common malignancies in women, and awareness, early diagnosis, and prevention are essential to reducing morbidity and mortality. While studies largely focus on the general population, little is known about awareness among female academic physicians who serve as both clinicians and educators. This study evaluated gynecological cancer awareness among female academic physicians at Necmettin Erbakan University Training and Research Hospital and examined differences by socio-demographic and professional factors.
Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted between July 12 and August 1, 2025. Data were collected online using a Personal Information Form and the 41-item Gynecological Cancers Awareness Scale (GCAS). Of 110 distributed forms, 76 were complete and eligible. Data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 with descriptive statistics, t-test, and ANOVA. Tukey’s posthoc test identified group differences. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05.
Results: The mean age of participants was 48.87±8.00 years; 75.0% were married, 44.7% were professors, and 53.9% had prior education on gynecological cancers. The mean GCAS total score was 121.79±13.80, indicating moderate-to-high awareness. Awareness was significantly associated with being younger (35–44 years), holding an assistant professorship, having 1–5 years of academic experience, as well as reporting a family history, prior education, or regular screening habits (p<0.05). No significant differences were observed by marital or childbearing status (p>0.05).
Conclusion: Gynecological cancer awareness among female academic physicians is moderate but uneven across groups. Educational interventions, continuing professional development, and encouragement of regular screenings are needed to strengthen awareness in this cohort, which could enhance both personal preventive practices and community health advocacy.

Ethical Statement

The research was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The study protocol was reviewed and approved by the Non-Interventional Research Ethics Committee of Necmettin Erbakan University, Faculty of Medicine (Decision Date: July 11, 2025; Decision No: 2025/5918; Application ID: 26126). Before participation, informed consent was obtained electronically from all female physicians via an online consent form.

References

  • Toptaş Acar B, Gerçek Öter E, Şanli Çolakoğlu H. Awareness of gynaecological cancer and factors affecting in women: a cross-sectional study. J Obstet Gynaecol. 2022;42(7):3193-3198. doi:10.1080/01443615.2022. 2109140
  • Öztürk R, Bakir S, Kazankaya F, Paker S, Ertem G. Awareness about gynecologic cancers and related factors among healthy women: a cross-sectional study. Soc Work Public Health. 2021;36(7-8):847-856. doi:10.1080/ 19371918.2021.1965936
  • Uslu-Sahan F, Mert-Karadas M, Yıldız T, Koc G. Effect of health literacy on the awareness of gynecological cancer among women in Turkey. Indian J Gynecol Oncol. 2023;21(1):15.
  • Balasubramaniam K, Rasmussen S, Haastrup PF, Suadicani K, Søndergaard J, Jarbøl DE. Women’s barriers for contacting general practice when experiencing gynecological cancer symptoms: a population-based study. BMC Fam Pract. 2021;22(1):167. doi:10.1186/s12875-021-01518-5
  • Ekinci N, Karaman ST, Basat O. Women's knowledge levels in protection from gynecological cancers and affecting factors. Eur Arch Med Res. 2023;39(4):262-268. doi:10.4274/eamr.galenos.2023.43765
  • Kaya D. Examination of women's health perceptions and gynecological cancer awareness status. Turk J Sci Health. 2023;4(3):221-231. doi:10. 51972/tfsd.1289997
  • Dal NA, Beydağ KD, Öner ÖI. The relationship between gynecological cancer awareness and self-care agency in married women. South Asian J Cancer. 2023;12(1):30-35. doi:10.1055/s-0042-1754344
  • Özcan H, Demir Doğan M. Gynecological cancer awareness among women. Indian J Gynecol Oncol. 2021;19(1):13. doi:10.1007/s40944-020-00481-w
  • Jha N, Panot AH, Singh U. Awareness about gynecological cancers amongst tribal females. Asian Pac J Cancer Care. 2020;5(2):113-118. doi: 10.31557/apjcc.2020.5.2.113-118
  • Creswell JW. Research design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. 4th ed. SAGE Publications; 2014.
  • Fraenkel JR, Wallen NE, Hyun HH. How to design and evaluate research in education. 10th ed. McGraw-Hill Education; 2019.
  • Büyüköztürk Ş, Kılıç Çakmak E, Akgün ÖE, Karadeniz Ş, Demirel F. Bilimsel araştırma yöntemleri. 28th ed. Pegem Akademi; 2020.
  • George D, Mallery P. SPSS for Windows step by step: a simple guide and reference. 10th ed. Pearson; 2010.
  • Tabachnick BG, Fidell LS. Using multivariate statistics. 6th ed. Pearson; 2013.
  • Kline RB. Principles and practice of structural equation modeling. 3rd ed. Guilford Press; 2011.
  • Uwins C, Yilmaz Y, Bilir E, Bhandoria GP. World Gynecologic Oncology Day: the use of Twitter to raise awareness of gynecologic cancers. AJOG Glob Rep. 2022;2(3):100079. doi:10.1016/j.xagr.2022.100079
  • Matthews BA, Baker F, Spillers RL. Healthcare professionals' awareness of cancer support services. Cancer Pract. 2002;10(1):36-44. doi:10.1046/j. 1523-5394.2002.101010.x
  • Seah M, Tan SM. Am I breast cancer smart? Assessing breast cancer knowledge among healthcare professionals. Singapore Med J. 2007;48(2): 158-162.
  • Hadi MA. Breast cancer awareness among healthcare professionals: 2 decades later. Health Educ Behav. 2018;1(2):51-56.
  • McCarey C, Pirek D, Tebeu PM, Boulvain M, Doh AS, Petignat P. Awareness of HPV and cervical cancer prevention among Cameroonian healthcare workers. BMC Womens Health. 2011;11(1):45. doi:10.1186/ 1472-6874-11-45
  • Benito L, García M, Binefa G, et al. Cross-sectional survey on awareness of colorectal cancer and a screening programme for primary health care professionals in Catalonia, Spain. Eur J Cancer Care. 2016;25(6):992-1004. doi:10.1111/ecc.12450
  • Osei-Afriyie S, Addae AK, Oppong S, Amu H, Ampofo E, Osei E. Breast cancer awareness, risk factors and screening practices among future health professionals in Ghana: a cross-sectional study. PLoS One. 2021; 16(6):e0253373. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0253373

Kadın akademisyen hekimlerde jinekolojik kanser farkındalığı ve sosyo-demografik belirleyicileri: kesitsel bir çalışma

Year 2025, Volume: 7 Issue: 6, 861 - 867, 26.10.2025
https://doi.org/10.38053/acmj.1774734

Abstract

Amaç: Jinekolojik kanserler kadınlarda en sık görülen maligniteler arasında yer almakta olup, farkındalık, erken tanı ve korunma morbidite ve mortalitenin azaltılmasında kritik öneme sahiptir. Çalışmalar genellikle genel popülasyona odaklansa da, hem klinisyen hem de eğitimci olarak görev yapan kadın akademisyen hekimlerin farkındalık düzeyleri hakkında çok az bilgi bulunmaktadır. Bu çalışma, Necmettin Erbakan Üniversitesi Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi’nde görev yapan kadın akademisyen hekimlerin jinekolojik kanser farkındalığını değerlendirmeyi ve sosyo-demografik ve mesleki faktörlere göre farklılıkları incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır.

Yöntem: Tanımlayıcı, kesitsel tipte bir çalışma 12 Temmuz–1 Ağustos 2025 tarihleri arasında yürütülmüştür. Veriler, Kişisel Bilgi Formu ve 41 maddeden oluşan Jinekolojik Kanserler Farkındalık Ölçeği (JKFÖ) kullanılarak çevrim içi ortamda toplanmıştır. Dağıtılan 110 formdan 76’sı tam ve uygun bulunmuştur. Veriler SPSS 25.0 programında tanımlayıcı istatistikler, t-testi ve ANOVA kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Gruplar arası farklılıklar Tukey post-hoc testi ile belirlenmiştir. İstatistiksel anlamlılık düzeyi p<0,05 olarak kabul edilmiştir.

Bulgular: Katılımcıların yaş ortalaması 48,87±8,00 yıl olup; %75,0’ı evli, %44,7’si profesör ve %53,9’u daha önce jinekolojik kanserler konusunda eğitim almıştı. JKFÖ toplam puan ortalaması 121,79±13,80 olup orta-yüksek düzeyde farkındalığa işaret etmektedir. Farkındalık, daha genç hekimlerde (35–44 yaş), doktor öğretim üyelerinde, meslekte 1–5 yıl deneyime sahip olanlarda, aile öyküsü olanlarda, önceden eğitim almış veya düzenli tarama yaptıran katılımcılarda anlamlı derecede daha yüksekti (p<0,05). Medeni durum veya doğum yapma durumuna göre anlamlı farklılık saptanmadı (p>0,05).

Sonuç: Kadın akademisyen hekimlerde jinekolojik kanser farkındalığı orta düzeyde olup gruplar arasında eşitsizlikler göstermektedir. Bu kohortta farkındalığı artırmak için eğitsel müdahaleler, sürekli mesleki gelişim programları ve düzenli taramaların teşvik edilmesi gerekmektedir. Bu yaklaşım, hem bireysel koruyucu uygulamaları güçlendirebilir hem de toplum sağlığı savunuculuğunu artırabilir.

References

  • Toptaş Acar B, Gerçek Öter E, Şanli Çolakoğlu H. Awareness of gynaecological cancer and factors affecting in women: a cross-sectional study. J Obstet Gynaecol. 2022;42(7):3193-3198. doi:10.1080/01443615.2022. 2109140
  • Öztürk R, Bakir S, Kazankaya F, Paker S, Ertem G. Awareness about gynecologic cancers and related factors among healthy women: a cross-sectional study. Soc Work Public Health. 2021;36(7-8):847-856. doi:10.1080/ 19371918.2021.1965936
  • Uslu-Sahan F, Mert-Karadas M, Yıldız T, Koc G. Effect of health literacy on the awareness of gynecological cancer among women in Turkey. Indian J Gynecol Oncol. 2023;21(1):15.
  • Balasubramaniam K, Rasmussen S, Haastrup PF, Suadicani K, Søndergaard J, Jarbøl DE. Women’s barriers for contacting general practice when experiencing gynecological cancer symptoms: a population-based study. BMC Fam Pract. 2021;22(1):167. doi:10.1186/s12875-021-01518-5
  • Ekinci N, Karaman ST, Basat O. Women's knowledge levels in protection from gynecological cancers and affecting factors. Eur Arch Med Res. 2023;39(4):262-268. doi:10.4274/eamr.galenos.2023.43765
  • Kaya D. Examination of women's health perceptions and gynecological cancer awareness status. Turk J Sci Health. 2023;4(3):221-231. doi:10. 51972/tfsd.1289997
  • Dal NA, Beydağ KD, Öner ÖI. The relationship between gynecological cancer awareness and self-care agency in married women. South Asian J Cancer. 2023;12(1):30-35. doi:10.1055/s-0042-1754344
  • Özcan H, Demir Doğan M. Gynecological cancer awareness among women. Indian J Gynecol Oncol. 2021;19(1):13. doi:10.1007/s40944-020-00481-w
  • Jha N, Panot AH, Singh U. Awareness about gynecological cancers amongst tribal females. Asian Pac J Cancer Care. 2020;5(2):113-118. doi: 10.31557/apjcc.2020.5.2.113-118
  • Creswell JW. Research design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. 4th ed. SAGE Publications; 2014.
  • Fraenkel JR, Wallen NE, Hyun HH. How to design and evaluate research in education. 10th ed. McGraw-Hill Education; 2019.
  • Büyüköztürk Ş, Kılıç Çakmak E, Akgün ÖE, Karadeniz Ş, Demirel F. Bilimsel araştırma yöntemleri. 28th ed. Pegem Akademi; 2020.
  • George D, Mallery P. SPSS for Windows step by step: a simple guide and reference. 10th ed. Pearson; 2010.
  • Tabachnick BG, Fidell LS. Using multivariate statistics. 6th ed. Pearson; 2013.
  • Kline RB. Principles and practice of structural equation modeling. 3rd ed. Guilford Press; 2011.
  • Uwins C, Yilmaz Y, Bilir E, Bhandoria GP. World Gynecologic Oncology Day: the use of Twitter to raise awareness of gynecologic cancers. AJOG Glob Rep. 2022;2(3):100079. doi:10.1016/j.xagr.2022.100079
  • Matthews BA, Baker F, Spillers RL. Healthcare professionals' awareness of cancer support services. Cancer Pract. 2002;10(1):36-44. doi:10.1046/j. 1523-5394.2002.101010.x
  • Seah M, Tan SM. Am I breast cancer smart? Assessing breast cancer knowledge among healthcare professionals. Singapore Med J. 2007;48(2): 158-162.
  • Hadi MA. Breast cancer awareness among healthcare professionals: 2 decades later. Health Educ Behav. 2018;1(2):51-56.
  • McCarey C, Pirek D, Tebeu PM, Boulvain M, Doh AS, Petignat P. Awareness of HPV and cervical cancer prevention among Cameroonian healthcare workers. BMC Womens Health. 2011;11(1):45. doi:10.1186/ 1472-6874-11-45
  • Benito L, García M, Binefa G, et al. Cross-sectional survey on awareness of colorectal cancer and a screening programme for primary health care professionals in Catalonia, Spain. Eur J Cancer Care. 2016;25(6):992-1004. doi:10.1111/ecc.12450
  • Osei-Afriyie S, Addae AK, Oppong S, Amu H, Ampofo E, Osei E. Breast cancer awareness, risk factors and screening practices among future health professionals in Ghana: a cross-sectional study. PLoS One. 2021; 16(6):e0253373. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0253373
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Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Journal Section Research Articles
Authors

Fatma Kılıç 0000-0002-9735-3552

Emine Türen Demir 0000-0001-5510-4411

Publication Date October 26, 2025
Submission Date August 30, 2025
Acceptance Date October 8, 2025
Published in Issue Year 2025 Volume: 7 Issue: 6

Cite

AMA Kılıç F, Demir ET. Gynecological cancer awareness and socio-demographic determinants Aamong female academic physicians: a cross-sectional study. Anatolian Curr Med J / ACMJ / acmj. October 2025;7(6):861-867. doi:10.38053/acmj.1774734

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