Knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of people between the ages of 30-70 applying to Fatsa Number 1 Family Health Center towards cancer screening

Objective: In our study, it was aimed to determine the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of individuals between the ages of 30-70 who applied to the Fatsa No. 1 Family Health Center in Ordu province, towards colorectal, cervical and breast cancer in the national cancer screening program.. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 306 participants aged between 30 and 70 years who were eligible to answer the survey questions and applied to Fatsa No. 1 Family Health Center between February and May 2025. In the study, a 3-section questionnaire form was used, which was developed by the researchers in line with the relevant literature. There are 11 questions that examine the individuals' sociodemographic data, smoking and alcohol use, regular physical activity and chronic disease status. Then, there are 23 questions that examine their cancer history and knowledge and behaviors regarding cancer screening programs. In the last part of the questionnaire, the Attitude Scale Towards Cancer Screening-Short Form, consisting of 15 items and a five-point Likert type, was used. The data obtained in our study were analyzed with the help of the IBM SPSS® (Version 21.0 for Windows, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) package program. For all statistical tests, p<0.05 was considered significant. Results: The mean age of the participants was determined as 49.3±11.0. The number of women was 224 (73.2%) and the number of men was 82 (26.8%). While 12 (3.9%) of the participants had a history of cancer in their past, the number of participants with a family history of cancer was determined as 133 (43.5%). When the participants' cancer screening status was evaluated according to gender, it was determined that female participants had less FOB tests and colonoscopies than male participants. It was determined that women with a history of cancer and/or a family history of cancer had more cancer screening tests than those without. Again, it was determined that women with a history of cancer and/or a family history of cancer had more FOB tests than those without. It was determined that men with a history of cancer and/or a family history of cancer had more FOB tests than those without. It was determined that participants with an education level of primary school or below had more FOB tests than participants with an education level of secondary school or above, but had fewer Pap smear tests and HPV/DNA tests. When participants were questioned about cancer screening awareness according to gender, it was found that female participants were more knowledgeable about cancer screening programs. It was found that participants with a history of cancer and/or a family history of cancer had more knowledge about breast cancer and bowel cancer screenings. On the other hand, it was found that participants with primary school education or below had less awareness about cancer screenings than participants with secondary school education or above. It was found that women with a history of cancer and/or a family history of cancer had lower levels of BSE knowledge than those without, but they had more breast examinations performed by a physician. It was found that participants with a higher level of education received more education about BSE. In addition, it was found that those with a higher level of education had more knowledge about mammography. Conclusion: Our study found that the level of knowledge and behavior regarding cancer screenings is not sufficient. The society needs to be informed and encouraged more about participating in cancer screenings. The rate is higher especially in screenings performed one-on-one by family physicians. Therefore, family physicians have a great responsibility. Keywords Cancer screening, National Cancer Screening Program, Attitude Scale towards Cancer Screening Short Form, Family Medicine