Determination of women's the perception of health, cancer information overload and attitudes for cancer screening

This study was conducted between October 2023 and October 2024 in Şanlıurfa Eyyübiye No. 10 Onikiler Family Health Center Region in order to determine the health perception, cancer knowledge load and attitudes towards cancer screenings of women aged 40-64. The sample of the study consisted of 323 women between the ages of 40-64. Introductory information form, Perception of Health Scale, Cancer Information Overload Scale, Attitude Towards Cancer Screening Scale were used in data collection. Statistical analysis of the data was performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 26.0) package program on the computer. Descriptive statistics, independent groups t test, variance analysis and Pearson correlation analysis were performed in the analysis of the data. Permission was received from the University Clinical Research Ethics Committee, the institution and participants where the study would be conducted. The women's Health Perception Scale mean score was 49.00±6.29, the Cancer Information Overload Scale mean score was 19.05±4.12, and the Attitude Towards Cancer Screening Scale mean score was 82.17±14.30. A significant difference was found between the mean scores of the Cancer Information Burden Scale (t=-3.969, p=0.000) and the Attitude Towards Cancer Screening Scale (t=9.336, p=0.000) according to the status of women performing breast self-examination. The difference between the mean scores of the Cancer Information Burden Scale (t=-2.951, p=0.003) and the Attitude Towards Cancer Screening Scale (t=6.736, p=0.000) according to the status of having mammography is significant. A significant difference was found between the mean scores of the Health Perception Scale (t=2.052, p=0.041), Cancer Information Burden Scale (t=-2.402, p=0.017) and Attitude Towards Cancer Screening Scale (t=6.947, p=0.000) according to the status of having a smear test. The difference between the status of having stool occult blood tested and the mean scores of the Cancer Information Burden Scale (t=-3.452, p=0.001) and the Attitude Towards Cancer Screening Scale (t=5.376, p=0.000) was found to be significant. A negative, moderately significant correlation was found between the women's Cancer Information Overload Scale mean score and the Attitude Towards Cancer Screening Scale mean score. In addition, a negative, very weakly significant correlation was found between the Perception of Health Scale mean score and the Cancer Information Overload Scale mean score (r=-.283, p=0.000). A positive, very weak, significant relationship was found between the mean scores of the Perception of Health Scale and the mean scores of the Attitude Towards Cancer Screening Scale (r=.175, p=0.002). As a result, it is recommended that interventional nursing studies be conducted to increase women's health perception, attitudes towards cancer screenings, and to reduce their cancer information overload.