Determination of male agricultural workers' knowledge levels, health belief levels and cancer risk about colorectal cancer

Objective: This research is a cross-sectional study that aiming to determine the knowledge levels, health belief levels and cancer risk of male agricultural workers about colorectal cancer. The research was conducted between November 2019-March 2021. The data of the study were collected face to face from 205 male agricultural workers living in Işıklı district of Efeler district of Aydın province between November 2020 and January 2021. Material and Methods: Sociodemographic Characteristics Form, Health Belief Model Scale for Protection from Colorectal Cancer, Structured Form with 10 questions About Colorectal Cancer Knowledge Level and Harvard Cancer Risk Index for Colon Cancer were used as data collection tools in the study. Prior to the study, institutional permission from the Aydın Governorship, the ethical approval of the Aydın Adnan Menderes University Faculty of Nursing Non-Invasive Clinical Research Ethics Committee and the necessary permission from the relevant authors of the scales used in the study were obtained. Written consent was obtained from male agricultural workers participating in the study. The data obtained in the study were analyzed using the SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) 22.0 program. Percentage, number, standard deviation and mean calculations were used as descriptive statistical methods in the evaluation of the data. Kurtosis (Kurtosis) and Skewness (Skewness) values were examined to determine whether the research variables showed normal distribution. The t-test was used to compare the quantitative continuous data between two independent groups, and the One-way Anova test was used to compare the quantitative continuous data between more than two independent groups. After the Anova test, the Scheffe test was used as a complementary post-hoc analysis to determine the differences. Pearson correlation analysis was applied between the continuous variables of the study. Chi square analysis was used to compare group variables. Results: The dependent variables of the study are the male agricultural workers' mean scores of Health Belief Model Scale for Protection from Colorectal Cancer, the Colorectal Cancer Knowledge Level and the Harvard Cancer Risk Levels. Independent variables are sociodemographic characteristics of male agricultural workers. 38% of male agricultural workers are 40-50 years old, 84,4% are married, 20% have high school and above education, 55,6% use pesticides, 35,6% use pesticides do not take action and 58% do not consider participating in future bowel cancer screening. 63,9 percent of male agricultural workers are in the risky group according to the Harvard Cancer Risk Index for CRC. The trust benefit health motivation score of male agricultural workers was 51,620 ± 4,856 (Min = 35; Max = 55) and the sensitivity subdimension score was 10,581 ± 4,838 (Min = 6; Max = 30); CRC knowledge level score was determined as 8,815 ± 1,190 (Min = 4; Max = 10). 56,1 percent of male agricultural workers stated that they did not know where to apply for CRC screening and 82 percent did not know what tests were performed in CRC screening. 21,5 percent of male agricultural workers stated that they were not informed about bowel cancer screening by any healthcare workers. Significant relationship was found between the idea of participating in the future CRC screening of male agricultural workers and the trust benefit health motivation sub-dimension score. Trust benefit health motivation scores of those who thought to participate in bowel cancer screening within six months and one year were higher than those who did not intend to participate in future screening (p <005). Conclusion: It will be beneficial to include the results of the research that showing the CRC health beliefs, information levels about CRC and CRC risk levels of male agricultural workers, who frequently use pesticides to increase the quality and productivity of agricultural products and are in the CRC risk group to the literature. Preventive training programs from CRC should be prepared for risky groups and the effectiveness of these training programs should be evaluated. In addition, the application of CRC screening tests to individuals in the risk group should be made widespread.