The relationship between women's health literacy level and their health beliefs on breast cancer screening

This study aimed to determine the relationship between women's health literacy level and their beliefs on breast cancer screening. This correlational survey research was conducted with 766 women aged 20 and over who applied to 12 family health centers in the city center between June-October 2019. The participants were determined through certain universe sampling selection method. Personal Information Questionnaire, Turkey Health Literacy Scale (TSOY-32) and Champion's Health Belief Model Scale in Breast Cancer Screening (CHBMS) were used to collect the data. The necessary institutional permissions, ethics committee approval, and informed consent form and written consent were obtained from the participants. In the analysis of the data, number, percentage, minimum and maximum values, mean, standard deviation, independent groups t test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation analysis, and Tukey test as Post Hoc were used. 44% of the participating women are in 20-25 age group. 50% of them are married, and % 56 of them have undergraduate degree or higher. 44.8% of the participants have an income of less than 2000 TL. 27.2% of the women started to menstruate at the age of 14, and 61.9% of them never gave birth. It was found that the participants got an average of 34.83±14.81 points from TSOY-32, and this score was at a sufficient level. The study showed that in Champion's Breast Cancer Screenings, the breast cancer screening belief levels of the participants were low in the sub-dimensions of Health Belief Model Scale, which are sensitivity, caring, health motivation, breast self-examination benefits, self-efficacy for breast self-examination, and barriers to mammography while their breast cancer screening belief level was moderate in the sub-dimensions of breast self-examination barriers and mammography benefits. In the mammography barriers sub-dimension, it was determined that there was a negative, low-level significant relationship between the breast cancer belief levels of women and the overall health literacy scale and literacy levels of the sub-factors, while a positive and low-level relationship was found in the sensitivity, health motivation, clinical breast examination benefits and self-efficacy and mammography benefit sub-dimension. It is recommended that public health nurses organize breast health counseling, breast cancer screening and education programs according to women's health literacy and health belief levels, and take initiatives to reduce their barriers in breast cancer screening.