BASİT SİMÜLASYON TEMELLİ MEME KANSERİ FARKINDALIK EĞİTİMİNİN KADINLARIN MEME KANSERİ BİLGİ VE KORKU DÜZEYLERİNE ETKİSİ

Year 2025, Volume: 9 Issue: 3, 337 - 351, 17.10.2025

Yasemin Aydın Kartal , Sema Aker , Aleyna Bulut , İlayda Orman

Abstract

Amaç: Bu araştırmanın amacı, basit simülasyon temelli bir meme kanseri farkındalık eğitiminin kadınların meme kanserine ilişkin bilgi düzeyleri ile korku düzeyleri üzerindeki etkisini incelemektir.
Yöntem: Ön test-son test kontrol gruplu deneysel desenle yürütülen bu çalışma, bir devlet üniversitesinde görev yapan kadın temizlik personelleriyle gerçekleştirilmiştir. Katılımcılar basit rastgele örnekleme yöntemi kullanılarak müdahale (n=40) ve kontrol (n=40) gruplarına ayrılmıştır. Her iki gruba, meme kanseri farkındalığını artırmaya yönelik teorik içerikte iki saatlik bir eğitim sunulmuştur. Bu eğitim; konu anlatımı, vaka örnekleri ve video gösterimlerini içermektedir. Müdahale grubuna ek olarak, basit düzeyde gerçeklik sunan meme simülatörü aracılığıyla uygulamalı eğitim gerçekleştirilmiştir. Veri toplama sürecinde “Tanıtıcı Bilgi Formu”, “Genişletilmiş Meme Kanseri Bilgi Testi”, “Meme Kanseri Korku Ölçeği” ve “Meme Kanseri Farkındalık Ölçeği” kullanılmıştır.
Bulgular: Katılımcıların yaş ortalaması 32,03±5,20 olarak hesaplanmıştır. Müdahale ve kontrol grubu arasında demografik özellikler açısından anlamlı bir fark gözlenmemiştir. Her iki grupta da teorik eğitimin ardından bilgi düzeylerinde anlamlı bir artış görülmüştür. Meme kanseri korku düzeyleri bakımından grup içi ve gruplar arası karşılaştırmalarda istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir fark bulunmamıştır. Bununla birlikte, müdahale grubunda yer alan kadınların farkındalık düzeyleri, kontrol grubuna kıyasla anlamlı düzeyde daha yüksek çıkmıştır.
Sonuç ve Öneriler: Elde edilen bulgular, basit gerçeklikli simülasyon destekli eğitimin, kadınların meme kanseri farkındalığını artırmada etkili olabileceğini göstermektedir. Uygulamalı eğitimin ardından kadınların meme kanseri belirtilerini tanıma, kendi kendine meme muayenesi yapabilme ve erken tanının önemine ilişkin bilgilerinde belirgin bir gelişim olduğu görülmüştür. Ancak eğitim sonrası korku düzeylerinde anlamlı bir değişiklik saptanmamıştır. Eğitimlerin uzun vadeli etkilerinin değerlendirilebilmesi ve gerektiğinde bireysel danışmanlık sağlanabilmesi için ileriye dönük izlem çalışmalarına ihtiyaç duyulmaktadır.

Keywords

Basit Simülasyon , Bilgi , Farkındalık , Korku , Meme Kanseri

THE EFFECT OF SIMPLE SIMULATION-BASED BREAST CANCER AWARENESS TRAINING ON WOMEN'S BREAST CANCER KNOWLEDGE AND FEAR LEVELS

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study is to examine the effects of a simple simulation-based breast cancer awareness training on womens knowledge and fear levels regarding breast cancer.
Materials and Methods: This study, conducted with a pretest-posttest control group experimental design, was conducted with female cleaning staff working at a state university. Participants were divided into intervention (n=40) and control (n=40) groups using a simple random sampling method. Both groups received a two-hour theoretical training aimed at raising breast cancer awareness. This training included lectures, case examples, and video demonstrations. In addition to the intervention group, the intervention group received hands-on training using a simple reality breast simulator. Data collection included the “Descriptive Information Form”, the “Comprehensive Breast Cancer Knowledge Test”, the “Breast Cancer Fear Scale”, and the “Breast Cancer Awareness Scale”.
Results: The mean age of the participants was calculated as 32.03±5.20. No significant difference was observed between the intervention and control groups in terms of demographic characteristics. Both groups showed a significant increase in knowledge following the theoretical training. No statistically significant difference was found in the within-group and between-group comparisons regarding breast cancer fear levels. However, women in the intervention group had significantly higher awareness levels than the control group.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that simple reality simulation-assisted training can be effective in raising womens breast cancer awareness. Following the hands-on training, significant improvements were observed in womens knowledge of breast cancer symptoms, breast self-examination, and the importance of early diagnosis. However, no significant change was observed in their fear levels after the training. Future follow-up studies are needed to assess the long-term effects of the training and to provide individual counseling when necessary.

Keywords

Awareness , Breast Cancer Fear , Simple Simulation , Women

Supporting Institution

This research has received financial support from TUBITAK 2209-A Research Projects Support Programme for University Students.

Thanks

We thank TUBITAK for their contributions. The authors thank the womens who volunteered to participate in the study.

References

• Açıkgöz, A., Cehreli, R., & Ellidokuz, H. (2011). Women's knowledge and attıtude about cancer and the behavıour for early dıagnosıs procedures. Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Medicine Journal, 25(3), 145–154.
• Andrew Tong, J. W., & Hee, M. Q. (2023). The impact of an online educational game on breast cancer awareness among university female students, Malaysia: a pilot study. BMC cancer, 23(1), 947.
• Barrios, C., Reinert, T., Werutsky, G. (2018). Global Breast Cancer Research: Moving Forward. American Society of Clinical Oncology educational book. American Society of Clinical Oncology. Annual Meeting. 38:441–450.
• Baş, S. (2022). Validity and reliability of the Breast Cancer Awareness Scale (Master’s thesis, Çankırı Karatekin University, Institute of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing). Advisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Figen Erol Ursavaş. Retrieved from https://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/tezSorguSonucYeni.jsp
• Başak, S. C. (2015). Breast cancer knowledge level among university students: A validity and reliability study of the Comprehensive Breast Cancer Knowledge Test (Master’s thesis, Istanbul Okan University, Institute of Social Sciences, Clinical Health Psychology Program). Advisor: Assist. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Tosun. Retrieved from https://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/tezSorguSonucYeni.jsp
• Biswas, S., Syiemlieh, J., Nongrum, R., Sharma, S., & Siddiqi, M. (2020). Impact of Educational Level and Family income on Breast Cancer Awareness among College-Going Girls in Shillong (Meghalaya), India. Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention : APJCP, 21(12), 3639–3646. https://doi.org/10.31557/APJCP.2020.21.12.3639
• Edirne, T., & Kaya, A. (2014). Evaluation of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding breast cancer and screening methods among women aged 20–70 attending the Pamukkale University Honaz Organized Industrial Zone Primary Care Clinic (Specialization thesis). Pamukkale University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine.
• Ekim, A., Subaşı, D. Ö., & Ocakçı, A. F. (2024). Effect of Breast Cancer Awareness Education in Adolescent Girls: A Quasi-Experimental Study. Journal of Education & Research in Nursing/Hemşirelikte Eğitim ve Araştırma Dergisi, 21(2).
• El Saghir, N. S., Adebamowo, C. A., Anderson, B. O., Carlson, R. W., Bird, P. A., Corbex, M., ... & Cazap, E. (2011). Breast cancer management in low resource countries (LRCs): consensus statement from the Breast Health Global Initiative. The Breast, 20, S3-S11.
• Ersin F, Bahar Z. (2011). Inhibiting and facilitating factors concerning breast cancer early diagnosis behavior in Turkish women: A qualitative study according to the health belief and health development models. Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention,, 12, 1849-1854
• Gadgil, A., Sauvaget, C., Roy, N., Muwonge, R., Kantharia, S., Chakrabarty, A., ... & Sankaranarayanan, R. (2017). Cancer early detection program based on awareness and clinical breast examination: Interim results from an urban community in Mumbai, India. The Breast, 31, 85-89.
• Hadi, M. A., Hassali, M. A., Shafie, A. A., & Awaisu, A. (2010). Evaluation of breast cancer awareness among female university students in Malaysia. Pharmacy practice, 8(1), 29.
• Hossain, S. Z., Robinson, L., & Clarke, J. (2016). Breast cancer knowledge and participation in breast screening practices among Southeast Asian women living in Sydney. GSTF Journal of Nursing and Health Care (JNHC), 3(2).
• Koçak, H. S., Olçar Ece, Z., & Güngörmüş, Z. (2022). A the effect of fear level on early diagnosis behaviors of women with first degree relative with breast cancer. Journal of Nursing Science, 5(1), 22–29. https://doi.org/10.54189/hbd.1049877
• Nsaful, J., Dedey, F., Nartey, E., Labi, J., Adu-Aryee, N. A., & Clegg-Lamptey, J. N. (2022). The impact of a breast cancer educational intervention in Ghanaian high schools. BMC cancer, 22(1), 1-10.
• O'Mahony, M., Comber, H., Fitzgerald, T., Corrigan, M. A., Fitzgerald, E., Grunfeld, E. A., ... & Hegarty, J. (2017). Interventions for raising breast cancer awareness in women. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (2).
• Rakhshani, T., Dada, M., Kashfi, S. M., Kamyab, A., & Jeihooni, A. K. (2022). The effect of educational intervention on knowledge, attitude, and practice of women towards breast cancer screening. International Journal of Breast Cancer, 2022(1), 5697739.
• Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health, General Directorate of Public Health. (2017). Turkey cancer statistics 2017. Retrieved from https://hsgm.saglik.gov.tr/depo/birimler/kanser-db/istatistik/Turkiye_Kanser_Istatistikleri_2017_OZETLI.pdf (Date of access: November 4, 2024).
• Secginli, S. (2012). Mammography self-efficacy scale and breast cancer fear scale: psychometric testing of the Turkish versions. Cancer Nursing, 35(5), 365-373.
• Sharma, K., Costas, A., Shulman, L. N., & Meara, J. G. (2012). A systematic review of barriers to breast cancer care in developing countries resulting in delayed patient presentation. Journal of oncology, 2012.
• Smith, R. A., Andrews, K., Brooks, D., DeSantis, C. E., Fedewa, S. A., Lortet-Tieulent, J., Manassaram-Baptiste, D., Brawley, O. W., & Wender, R. C. (2016). Cancer screening in the United States, 2016: A review of current American Cancer Society guidelines and current issues in cancer screening. CA: a cancer journal for clinicians, 66(2), 96–114. https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21336
• Suh, M. A. B., Atashili, J., Fuh, E. A., & Eta, V. A. (2012). Breast self-examination and breast cancer awareness in women in developing countries: a survey of women in Buea, Cameroon. BMC research notes, 5, 1-6. Sung, H., Ferlay, J., Siegel, R.L., Laversanne, M., Soerjomataram, I., Jemal, A. et al. (2021). Global Cancer Statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN Estimates of Incidence and Mortality Worldwide for 36 Cancers in 185 Countries. CA Cancer J Clin. 71:209-249.
• The Global Cancer Observatory. (2020). “Breast Fact Sheet”. İnternational Agency for Research on Cancer, Word Health Organization. https://gco.iarc.fr/today/data/factsheets/cancers/20-Breast-fact-sheet.pdf (Date of access: November 04, 2024).
• Torre, L. A., Bray, F., Siegel, R. L., Ferlay, J., Lortet‐Tieulent, J., & Jemal, A. (2015). Global cancer statistics, 2012. CA: a cancer journal for clinicians, 65(2), 87-108.