Clinical Trial Details
— Status: Active, not recruiting
Administrative data
NCT number |
NCT05723237 |
Other study ID # |
Health Literacy of Breast Ca |
Secondary ID |
|
Status |
Active, not recruiting |
Phase |
N/A
|
First received |
|
Last updated |
|
Start date |
February 15, 2023 |
Est. completion date |
December 30, 2023 |
Study information
Verified date |
May 2023 |
Source |
Istanbul Aydin University |
Contact |
n/a |
Is FDA regulated |
No |
Health authority |
|
Study type |
Interventional
|
Clinical Trial Summary
The lack of knowledge of women on breast cancer and health literacy poses a major obstacle to
people's breast cancer screening behaviors and beliefs. In order to increase social
sensitivity and awareness on this issue; In particular, it is important to research, examine
and examine how the municipalities and their employees, who are representatives of the
society, evaluate breast cancer screening studies. The aim of our project is to evaluate the
effect of breast cancer screening training given to women working in the municipality on
health literacy, breast cancer screening belief and behavior. This study will be conducted in
a randomized-controlled experimental design with women (n=120) working in a municipality in
Istanbul Province between November 2022 and November 2023. Data will be obtained face-to-face
using the Participant Information Form, the Health Literacy Scale and the Breast Cancer
Screening Beliefs Scale. The women in the experimental group (n=60) will be given 16 hours of
breast cancer screening training, two days a week, two hours a day (60 min+60 min) for four
weeks, by the researchers. No application will be made to the control group (n=60). Follow-up
evaluations of the research will be completed in the following six months. The Health
Literacy Scale and Breast Cancer Screening Beliefs Scale will be re-administered to all women
in the experimental and control groups at the first follow-up after three months and at the
second follow-up after 6 months. The data will be analyzed with statistical methods and the
effectiveness of the training will be evaluated.
When the project is concluded; The results will be presented as an article in a national or
international journal, or as an oral presentation at a national or international congress. It
will be ensured that breast cancer screening training given to women working in the
municipality will increase their level of health literacy, have a positive effect on breast
cancer screening belief and behavior, and increase their awareness and knowledge level on
this subject. In the long term, widespread effects such as reducing the costs women spend on
breast cancer, reducing mortality and morbidity rates, raising a conscious society, training
undergraduate students involved in the project, and helping them learn by experiencing the
research conducted at the national level are foreseen.
Description:
Breast cancer is a disease that occurs with the uncontrolled proliferation of cells
surrounding the milk glands and ducts in the breast. According to the 2020 data of the
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Global Cancer Obsevartory (GLOBOCAN); The
most common type of cancer among women worldwide is breast cancer. At the same time, breast
cancer ranks second among deaths of known cause (IARCH, 2020). Similarly, according to 2019
data from the Health Statistics Yearbook, breast cancer ranks first among the most common
cancer types among women in Turkey, and ranks second among deaths of known cause.
Early diagnosis in breast cancer is of great importance in increasing the survival rate and
increasing the success of treatment. The fact that risk factors are effective in 20% of
breast cancer cases and that most of these factors are unchangeable risk factors increases
the importance of early diagnosis. Thanks to breast cancer screening methods, it is the first
priority to catch breast cancer at an early stage before the clinical signs of breast cancer
manifest itself and to reduce mortality rates. Early detection screenings such as Breast Self
Examination (BSE), Clinical Breast Examination (CBE), and mammography are thought to be a way
to increase early detection and decrease mortality rates.. According to the Turkish National
Breast Cancer screening criteria, women older than 20 should periodically perform BSE every
month; It is stated that women in the 20-40 age group should have CBE once every two years
and women in the 40-69 age group should have CBE once a year. It is also recommended that all
women between the ages of 40-69 have a mammogram every two years.
In detecting cancer at an early stage, it is extremely important to have information about
the symptoms of cancer and to transform this information into behavior and observe in terms
of symptoms. It is suggested that preventive behaviors such as a healthy lifestyle and health
screening are beneficial methods in the prevention of breast cancer. In the literature, it
has been determined that the knowledge level of women about cancer is not sufficient and they
do not participate in breast cancer screening programs at the desired level and periodically.
Studies have also reported that women's attitudes towards breast cancer prevention behaviors
and their level of knowledge are related to health literacy. Health literacy is extremely
important for the health and health services of the general population because of its
consequences that affect individuals and public health. Health literacy level, which is one
of the factors that shape women's health, is effective in improving and managing women's
health, and understanding and using the necessary information about women's health also
increases the behavior of providing early diagnosis against diseases.. A high level of health
literacy plays an important role in the protection of public health, as it constitutes an
integral part of preventive health services as well as increasing the quality of life and
eliminating inequalities. Considering the results of a study conducted in our country; It has
been found that 68.9% of the individuals forming the society have insufficient or
problematic-limited, 23.4% sufficient and 7.7% excellent health literacy level. Since
individuals with low health literacy levels have difficulty in making the right decision
about their health, their attitudes and behaviors towards cancer screening are more
inadequate. In a study conducted in Turkey, it was concluded that women with limited health
literacy had a low level of breast cancer knowledge, and that the low level of economic
status and education also affected this situation. For this reason, low health literacy is
considered as an important issue in terms of improving individuals' breast cancer knowledge
levels and attitudes and behaviors towards screening. In a study, it was concluded that not
performing BSE and not having mammography were associated with low health literacy levels. In
another study, it is reported that the rate of women not having a mammogram is 52.2% and
those who do not have a mammogram have a lower level of health literacy compared to women who
have had a mammogram at least once.
As can be seen from the results of the study, the lack of knowledge of women on breast cancer
and health literacy poses a major obstacle to people's breast cancer screening behaviors and
beliefs. In order to increase social sensitivity and awareness on this issue; In particular,
it is important to research, examine and examine how the municipalities and their employees,
who are representatives of the society, evaluate breast cancer screening studies. From this
point of view, we aimed to evaluate the effect of breast cancer screening training given to
women working in the municipality on health literacy, breast cancer screening belief and
behavior in our project.
With this training, awareness of women working in the municipality about breast cancer will
be raised and it will be contributed to the municipalities, which are representatives of the
society, to take steps to make programs that can reach a wider population. In addition, it is
thought that this study will contribute to studies evaluating the effect of breast cancer
screening education, which is limited in the literature, on health literacy, breast cancer
screening belief and behavior.
Breast cancer is the second most common cause of death in our country and in the world. Early
diagnosis in breast cancer is of great importance in increasing the survival rate and
increasing the success of treatment. Studies have shown that women's knowledge about cancer
is not at a sufficient level, they do not participate in breast cancer screening programs at
the desired level and periodically, and their health literacy level is insufficient. The
reason for this inadequacy is the lack of information. Many educational programs on breast
cancer are organized. However, these programs are usually daily or weekly and are limited to
increasing the level of knowledge. Breast cancer screening training cannot turn into
behavior. With this study, the participants will be monitored for at least 6 months, and an
effective fight against breast cancer will be taken. With the study, the knowledge and
awareness of the employees working in municipalities, which are representative of the
society, will be created through training and education on breast cancer screening. The
results of our study will contribute to public health and to reduce health costs by
preventing breast cancer with early diagnosis, with the increase in breast cancer screening
rates in the long term. Nurses who play a leading role in public health and we, nurse
candidates, will contribute to take steps in making programs that can reach a wider
population in this regard.