Attitudes and Related Factors of Women in Turkey Towards Cancer Screening: Analytical Cross-Sectional Study

Öz

Objective: This study aimed to examine women's attitudes and related factors towards cancer screening in Turkey. Methods: This analytical-cross-sectional study was conducted between June and September 2022. The universe of the study consisted of all women between the ages of 30-70 in Turkey, and the sample included 335 women. The data of the study were collected online with the “Personal Information Form’’ and “Attitude Scale for Cancer Screening”. Results: The average Attitude Scale for Cancer Screening total score of the women participating in the study was 84.36±14.55. Of the women who participated in the study, 33.1% did not perform breast self-examination, 63.1% did not perform clinical breast examination, 49.5% did not perform Pap smear and HPV-DNA testing, 60.9% did not perform mammography, 76.1% did not perform fecal occult blood testing and 93.8% did not perform colonoscopy. It was determined that education status, breast self-examination, clinical breast examination, Pap Smear and HPV-DNA test frequencies, and knowing the places where cancer screening was performed affected the Attitude Scale for Cancer Screening score averages (F = 8.729, p = 0.000). Conclusion: It was determined that the attitudes of the women participating in the study towards cancer screening were moderate. Several factors are done affect attitudes towards cancer screening.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Attitudes towards cancer screening
• breast self-examination
• clinical breast examination
• fecal occult blood
• mammography
• pap smear test

Kaynakça

1. World Health Organization. The top 10 causes of death. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death. Published August 2024. Accessed August 24, 2024.
2. World Health Organization. Global cancer burden growing, amidst mounting need for services. https://www.who.int/news/item/01-02-2024-global-cancer-burden-growing--amidst-mounting-need-for-services. Published February 2024. Accessed August 23, 2024.
3. Willems B, Bracke P. The impact of regional screening policies on the diffusion of cancer screening participation in Belgium: Time trends in educational inequalities in Flanders and Wallonia. BMC Health Services Research. 2018;18(943):1-13. doi: 10.1186/s12913-018-3746-x.
4. Zamorano-Leon JJ, López-de-Andres A, Álvarez-González A, et al. Reduction from 2011 to 2017 in adherence to breast cancer screening and non-improvement in the uptake of cervical cancer screening among women living in Spain. Maturitas. 2020;135:27-33. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2020.02.007.
5. World Health Organization. Promoting cancer early diagnosis. https://www.who.int/activities/promoting-cancer-early-diagnosis. Published March 2023. Accessed August 22, 2024.
6. T.R. Ministry of Health Turkey General Directorate of Public Health Cancer Department. Cancer screenings. https://hsgm.saglik.gov.tr/tr/kanser-taramalari. Published June, 2021. Accessed August 5, 2024.
7. T.R. Ministry of Health General Directorate of Public Health. Turkey cancer control programme. https://hsgm.saglik.gov.tr/tr/dokumanlar-kanserdb/raporlar.html. Published 2021. Accessed August 22, 2024.
8. Jedy-Agba E, Joko WY, Liu B, et al. Trends in cervical cancer incidence in sub-Saharan Africa. Br J Cancer. 2020;123:148–54. doi: 10.1038/s41416-020-0831-9.

9. Siegel RL, Miller KD, Hannah EF, et al. Cancer statistics. Cancer J for Clin. 2021; 72(3):7-33. doi: 10.3322/caac.21708.
10. Wu Z, Liu Y, Li X, et al. Factors associated with breast cancer screening participation among women in Mainland China: A systematic review. BMJ Open. 2019;26;9(8):e028705. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-028705.
11. T.R. Turkish Statistical Institute. Woman with Statistics. 2021. https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=Istatistiklerle-Kadin-2021-45635. Published March, 2022. Accessed August 5, 2024.
12. Brisson M, Kim JJ, Canfell K, et al. Impact of HPV vaccination and cervical screening on cervical cancer elimination: A comparative modelling analysis in 78 low-income and lower-middle-income countries. Lancet. 2020;395:575–90. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30068-4.
13. Sung H, Ferlay J, Siegel RL, et al. Global cancer statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. CA Cancer J Clin. 2021;71:209–49. doi: 10.3322/caac.21660.
14. Siegel RL, Miller KD, Fuchs HE, et al. Cancer statistics. CA Cancer J Clin. 2021;71(1):7-33. doi: 10.3322/caac.21654.
15. Yıldırım Öztürk EN, Uyar M, Şahin TK. Development of an attitude scale for cancer screening. Turk J Oncol. 2020;35(4):394-404. doi: 10.5505/tjo.2020.2341.
16. Bağcı HH, Aksungur A, Özdemirkan T. Knowledge, attitudes and behavior towards cancer screening: municipal employees example. Journal of Experimental and Clinical Medicine. 2024;41(1):166-171. doi: 10.52142/omujecm.41.1.28.
17. Yeğenler F, Tunç Karaman S, Yeğenler B, et al. Evaluation of attitudes and behaviors towards cancer screening in people aged 30-70. European Journal of Human. 2023;1(1):15-25 doi: 10.29228/ejhh.68882.
18. Turkey-Global Cancer Observatory. https://gco.iarc.fr/today/data/factsheets/populations/792-turkey-fact-sheets.pdf. Published March, 2022. Accessed June 19, 2022.
19. Labrie NH, Ludolph R, Schulz PJ. Investigating young women’s otivations to engage in early mammography screening in Witzerland: Results of a crosssectional study. BMC Cancer. 2017;17(1):209. doi: 10.1186/s12885-017-3180-1.
20. The Ministry of Health of Türkiye. Turkey health statistics yearbook. https://www.saglik.gov.tr/TR,89801/saglik-istatistikleri-yilligi-2020html. Published March, 2020. Accessed June 11, 2022.
21. May FP, Anandasabapathy S. Colon cancer in Africa: Primetime for screening? Gastrointest Endosc. 2019;89:1238–40. doi: 10.1016/j.gie.2019.04.206.
22. Huang J, Choi P, Pang TW, et al. Factors associated with participation in colorectal cancer screening: a population-based study of 7200 individuals. Euro J Cancer Care. 2021;30(2): e13369. doi: 10.1111/ecc.13369.
23. Uysal N, Ünal Toprak F. Determination of women's health perceptions and attitudes towards cancer screening and affecting factors. Journal of Adnan Menderes University Health Sciences Faculty. 2022:6(1);65-76. doi: 10.46237/amusbfd.926839.
24. Del Boca D, Oggero N, Profeta P, et al. Women’s work, housework, and childcare, before and during COVID-19. Rev Econ Househ. 2020;18:1001-1007. doi: 10.1007/s11150-020-09502-1.
25. Demir R, Taşpınar A. Reflections of coronavirus pandemic on women’s life and health. Current Approaches in Psychiatry. 2021;13(4):779-789 doi: 10.18863/pgy.882529.
26. Patt D, Gordan L, Diaz Michael, et al. Impact of COVID-19 on cancer care: how the pandemic is delaying cancer diagnosis and treatment for American seniors. JCO Clin Cancer Informatics. 2020;4:1059-71. doi: 10.1200/CCI.20.00134.
27. Maringe C, Spicer J, Morris M, et al. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer deaths due to delays in diagnosis in England, UK: a national, population-based, modelling study. Lancet Oncol. 2020;21(8):1023–34. doi: 10.1016/ S1470-2045(20)30388-0.
28. Kaya C, Üstü Y, Özyörük E, et al. Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of health workers about cancer screenings. Ankara Med J. 2017;17(1):73–83. doi: 10.17098/amj.304666
29. Joulaei H, Zarei N. Women’s cancer care in Iran. Cancer Control. 2019;26(1). doi: 10.1177/1073274819848432.
30. Hsieh YP, Roh S, Lee YS. Spiritual well-being, social support, and depression among American Indian women cancer survivors: The mediating effect of perceived quality of life. Families in Society. 2020;101(1):83–94. doi: 10.1177/1044389419853113.
31. Büyükkayacı Duman N, Yüksek Koçak D, Albayrak SA, et al. Knowledge and practices breast and cervical cancer screening among womens over age of 40. JAREN. 2015;1(1):3038. doi: 10.5222/jaren.2015.030.
32. Çam O, Babacan Gümüş A. Psychosocial factors affecting early diagnosis behaviours in breast and cervical cancer. Ege Üniversitesi Hemşirelik Yüksek Okulu Dergisi. 2006;22(1):81-93.
33. Holdroy E, Twinn S, Adab P. Socio-cultural influences on Chinese women’s attendence for cervical cancer screeening. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 2004;46(1):42-52.
34. Thomas EC. African American women’s breast memories, cancer beliefs and screening behaviors. Cancer Nursing. 2004;27(4):295-302.