Evaluation of attitude to cancer screening and cancer stigma in patients at a university hospital

Objective: Stigma, defined as social rejection or devaluation, has been associated with life-threatening cancer. In this study, it was aimed to determine the attitudes of patients who attended a university hospital towards cancer screening, their levels of cancer stigma, and the characteristics that may be associated with these variables. Materials and Methods: The universe of this cross-sectional study consisted of patients aged 18 and above who visited the Ondokuz Mayıs University Health Application and Research Center outpatient clinics. The study was conducted between March 25, 2022, and May 15, 2022, with a total of 463 participants. The participants were administered a questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic and specific health-related questions, the Cancer Screening Attitude Scale, and the Cancer Stigma Scale. Results: The mean age of the participants was 44,3±13,1 years, of which 240 (51,8%) were male and 223 (48,2%) were female. The median score of the Attitude Scale towards Cancer Screening was 100 and the median score of the Cancer Stamp Scale was 52. There was a statistical difference between the participants' smoking status and scale scores according to gender (p<0,05). The Cancer Stamp Scale score was found to be statistically lower for those with a graduate degree than those with a high school degree, those without health insurance, and those with an income equal to or more than their expenses compared to those whose income is less than their expenses (p<0,05). It was determined that while each unit increase in the attitude scale score towards cancer screenings decreased cancer stigma 0,96 times (p=0,001), male gender increased 1,80 (p=0,021), smoking 2,36 (p=0,001), poor income 1,84 (p=0,017), and sun protection 1,87 times (p=0,022). Conclusion: Having a positive attitude towards cancer screenings reduces cancer stigma. Public health policies, including cancer education and awareness campaigns, can be developed to reduce cancer stigma by increasing awareness of cancer screening in society. Keywords: Cancer, stigma, cancer screenings, attitude