Factors Associated with Awareness of Gynecological Cancer Among Turkish Women: A Descriptive and Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to determine factors associated with awareness of gynecological cancer among Turkish women. Method: The online descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2020 and April 2021 in Turkey via the snowball sampling technique by sharing an online link among all women between the ages of 20 and 65 years who had no history of gynecologic cancer, at least primary school graduates, who live in Turkey and use smartphones or the internet. The sample size for the study was calculated using G*Power software version 3.1.9.7. The input parameters were a t-test, a small effect size of 0.2, a 5% alpha error probability, and 80% power. The total sample size calculated was 788. The sample of the study consisted of 804 women. The women’s descriptive characteristics form and gynecological cancers awareness scale were used for the study. The descriptive characteristics form was prepared by the researchers based on the literature. This questionnaire consisted of 25 questions that included information about women’s age, education level, family type, number of children, applying regular gynecological examinations, and having knowledge about Pap smear test and cervical cancer. The gynecological cancers awareness scale consisted of 41 items and was a five-point Likert-type scale with four subdimensions. The total score to be obtained from the scale is between 41 and 205 points, and a high score indicates that women’s awareness of gynecological cancer is high. After the relationship between the total and subscale scores and independent variables was evaluated using t-test and ANOVA, the variables were found to be significant, and the total score was tested using multiple regression analysis. Results: In the study, the mean age of the women was found 41.5±10.7, 64.3% had a university education, and 70.0% were employed. The rate of having a Pap smear test was found 66.8% and 34.3% of women had regular annual visits to a gynecologist. The total score on the gynecological cancers awareness scale was high in women aged over 42 years, those with postgraduate education, and those employed. The mean of the total score of the scale was found to be high in women who had an active sexual life, had regular gynecologic examinations, and had a history of pregnancy. All sub-dimension scores and the total score of the scale were determined to be higher in postgraduate education women than in middle school and lower education women. Women who had health insurance, had modern birth control methods, had the Pap smear test and had vulvar self-examination, and had information about Pap smear test and cervical cancer were found to have a high score from all subscales and total scores of the scale. According to the multiple regression analysis, the following were found to be statistically significant factors influencing awareness of gynecological cancer: Education status, using birth control methods, having vulvar self-examination and regular gynecologic examination, having Pap smear test, and having information about cervical cancer. Conclusion: It was determined that women with higher socio-economic status had a high awareness of gynecological cancer.

Keywords

• gynecological cancer
• cancer awareness
• women