Turkish social attitudes towards to cancer prevention: a health belief model study

Factors Affecting Attitudes Towards Cancer, Cancer Prevention, and Early Diagnosis Behaviors Among Cancer Patient Relatives

Attitudes towards cancer may affect the cancer prevention behaviors of cancer patients' relatives and their participation in cancer screening. Knowing the factors affecting attitudes will shed light on the education programs to be planned to encourage individuals to gain a positive attitude towards cancer and positive health behaviors in cancer prevention. Determining the behaviors towards cancer prevention and cancer screening, identifying reasons that prevent participation in cancer screening, determining the factors associated with the attitudes of cancer patients' relatives towards cancer, determining the factors affecting their attitudes towards cancer of cancer patients' relatives, can increase the awareness of healthcare professionals and patient relatives on the subject. The aim of the present study was to determine cancer prevention and early diagnosis behavior and the factors affecting the attitudes of towards cancer of cancer patient relatives. The descriptive and analytical study was completed with 321 relatives of cancer patients. The data were collected by the face-to-face interview method. The interview was conducted in a quiet place, alone with the participant, using a clear and simple language, allowing people to speak freely, and avoiding criticism and evaluation. About half of the participants smoked (49.5%), many did not do regular physical activity (67.3%) or protect themselves from the sun (77.3%), and only 10.9% had regular screening tests. The reasons for not having a screening test were ignorance, disregard, lack of complaints, and fear. Acording to binary logistic regression analysis, the determinants included factors of negative attitudes toward cancer with the age of the patient (Exp(β): 1.024), low education level (Exp(β): 2.572), being the child (Exp(β): 8.484) or sibling (Exp(β): 8.801) of the patient, not being protected from the sun (Exp(β): 2.063), and not doing physical activity (Exp(β): 1.744). Even for those having positive health behaviors, such as not smoking (Exp(β): 2.008) and using sun protection (Exp(β): 2.280), the attitudes towards cancer were negative for the Impossible to Recover sub-dimension. Cancer prevention behaviors and regular participation in cancer screening of cancer patients' relatives were very low. It was determined that low education level, increasing age of the patient, and the degree of relation to the patient negatively affected attitudes towards cancer, and that there was a need for education. We believe that the results of the present study will contribute to evidence-based practice for cancer prevention and early diagnosis.

The Effect of an Educational Intervention Based on PRECEDE Model on Oral Cancer Prevention Behaviors in Hookah Users

Educational intervention about oral cancer prevention is essential for all people, especially in hookah users. The aim of this study is investigating the effect of an educational intervention based on PRECEDE model on oral cancer prevention in hookah users living in Fasa, Fars Province, Iran, in 2017-2018. In this quasi-experimental study, 360 hookah users were selected and divided into experimental and control groups (180 subjects for each group). Educational intervention was performed for experimental group in 12 sessions. A questionnaire consisting of items evaluating demographic information and PRECEDE model constructs (knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy, enabling factors, and reinforcing factors) was used to measure oral cancer prevention behaviors and nicotine dependency of subjects before and 6 months after intervention. Obtained data were analyzed by SPSS-22 software through paired t test, independent t test, and chi-square test at significance level of P < 0.05. Six months after intervention, experimental group showed significant increase in knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy, enabling factors, reinforcing factors, oral cancer prevention behaviors, and reduction of nicotine dependency compared with control group. This study showed the efficiency of educational intervention based on PRECEDE model in adoption of oral cancer prevention behaviors and reduction of nicotine dependency of hookah users 6 months after intervention.

Prostate specific antigen test uptake: a cross sectional study on elderly men in Western Iran

BACKGROUND

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most common malignancy in men worldwide and the incidence rate of PCa has been increasing in recent years. The aim of the current study was to determine beliefs elderly men towards prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test uptake.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study conducted among 352 elderly men (60-74 years old age) in the west of Iran. The Health Belief Model (HBM) was applied as a study framework to evaluation of beliefs towards PSA test uptake. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 16 using appropriate statistical tests including t-test, chi-square, bivariate correlations, and logistic regression at 95% significant level.

RESULT

The mean age of participants was 65.55 years [SD: 3.90]. Almost 16.9% of the elderly men had uptake PSA during last year. There was significant association between PSA test uptake with older age (P = 0.013), better economic status (P = 0.023), higher education level (P = 0.004), positive family history of prostate cancer (P = 0.018), and number of family members more than four (P = 0.032). The best determinants predictors for PSA test uptake were cues to action [OR: 1.967 and 95% CI: 1.546, 2.504], perceived severity [OR: 1.140 and 95% CI: 1.008, 1.290], and perceived benefits towards PSA test uptake [OR: 1.133 and 95% CI: 1.024, 1.253].

CONCLUSIONS

It seems that development of health promotion programs to increase cues to action and positive beliefs toward PSA test uptake and also perceived treat about side effect of PCa could be beneficial to increase PSA test uptake.

Effectiveness of Health Belief Model on Oral Cancer Prevention in Smoker Men

The purpose of the present study is investigating the effect of educational intervention based on health belief model (HBM) on oral cancer prevention in smoker men. This is a quasi-experimental study carried out on 200 smoker men with the age of 40 or older (100 subjects for the experimental group and 100 subjects for control group) resident in Fasa City, Fars Province, Iran, in 2017-2018. The educational intervention for the experimental group included seven educational sessions for 50 or 55 min-based HBM. A questionnaire consisted of items about demographic information, knowledge, HBM constructs (perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, self-efficacy, and cues to action) was used to measure the oral cancer prevention before and 6 months after the intervention. The mean age of the men was 51.35±8.41 years in the experimental group and 52.28±8.09 years in the control group. Based on the obtained results, significant enhancement is observed in average scores of knowledge, perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, self-efficacy, cues to action, and oral cancer prevention behaviors in experimental group; however, no significant changes are observed in average scores of knowledge, perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, self-efficacy, cues to action, and oral cancer prevention behaviors of control group. Also, results indicated that, the educational program based on HBM model have positive effect on oral cancer prevention with the improvement of subject's knowledge, perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, and self-efficacy.

Knowledge and Health Belief Attitudes of Oral Cancer and Its Screening Among At-Risk Southern Thai Muslims

Oral cancer is one of the leading cancers in Thailand; southern Thai Muslims seem to have a longer delay in attending treatment for oral cancer than Buddhists in the same area. Visual screenings of high-risk populations have been suggested to be an effective prevention method. This study assessed oral cancer knowledge and belief attitudes influencing oral cancer screening in Thai Muslim high-risk groups. Twelve semi-structured in-depth interviews and the focus group discussion were conducted based on the health belief model. Stratified purposeful sampling was used to recruit the participants. Inclusion criteria were those who practiced the risk habits for oral cancer and were 40 years of age or older, smokers (20+ cigarettes per day for at least 20 years) and/or betel quid chewers (10+ times per day for at least 10 years). Participants lacked knowledge about oral cancer in terms of signs and symptoms and predisposing factors. This influenced misleading belief attitudes concerning susceptibility of oral cancer, barriers, and their self-efficacy to have oral cancer screening examinations. Betel quid chewing was not regarded as a risk habit but as having a protective role against the disease. Perceived susceptibility was also seen by some to be dependent upon Allah's will. Traditional medication was mentioned as a preferred alternative to modern treatment. The latter was believed by some to be the cause of death for cancer patients. Interventions to promote oral cancer knowledge and right belief attitudes for oral cancer screening are clearly indicated.

Effects of a Cancer Prevention Advertisement on Beliefs and Knowledge about Cancer Prevention

BACKGROUND

Outcome-expectation beliefs and knowledge may ultimately influence behavior for cancer prevention. The aims of this study were to measure changes in knowledge and beliefs about cancer prevention before and after viewing a television advertisement and identify the factors affecting receptivity to its messages.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A one-group pretest-posttest design was used in this study of 1,000 individuals aged 20 to 65 years who were recruited online in November 2014. The outcome variables included cancer prevention beliefs based on the Health Belief Model (five items) and knowledge about risk factors for cancer (seven items).

RESULTS

Perceived susceptibility, perceived benefits, and self-efficacy increased significantly and their perceived severity and perceived barriers decreased significantly, after participants viewed the television advertisement. Correct responses to questions about risk factors also increased significantly, except for smoking. The main factors affecting changes in the outcome variables were age, interest in cancer prevention, social network, satisfaction with the ad, and pretest scores.

CONCLUSIONS

Television advertisements with positive frameworks can be an efficient channel of improving beliefs and knowledge about cancer prevention in a short period. The continuous development of intervention materials that consider the demographics, needs, and satisfaction of the target group will be necessary for future studies.

Predictors of cancer awareness among older adult individuals in Jordan

BACKGROUND

Older age is associated with an increase in the incidence of cancer cases. Diagnosis and treatment of cancer in older adults can be stressful because of health decline related to age, comorbidities and inadequate treatment for pain and other symptoms of the disease. This survey is one of the unique studies in Jordan and in the Arab world that aimed at exploring the predictors of older adult individuals awareness towards cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A stratified random sampling technique was followed to reach a representative sample of 753 participants. The questionnaire of the study consisted of parts regarding demographic variables, awareness about screening tests, and signs and symptoms of cancer. In addition, specific questions related to factors linked to cancer were included. Cross-sectional design was adopted with face-to-face interviews at the interviewees' households.

RESULTS

The mean age of the participants was about 63 years; around 44% of them are above the age of 65 years. 'Being convinced that having no health problem makes the individual feel safe and not at risk of getting cancer' was the major reason for not doing a routine health check-up.

CONCLUSIONS

The low levels of awareness about cancer, as well as the low use of the screening methods were crucial outcomes of this study. Thus, raising the awareness among health care providers and policy makers in the country about older adults' perception of cancer is a high priority.