Assessment of attitude and behaviour concercing prevention from cancer in relatives of colorectal cancer patients

Eighty-five patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer, who received chemotherapy at outpatient unit, were evaluated, and a questionnaire was performed for 336 relatives of the patients. The questionnaire consisted of 47 questions. While the first section of the questionnaire included questions related to socio-demographic characteristics, whereas the second section included questions that evaluate the attitude and behaviours concerning prevention against cancer and screening (nutritional status, regular physical activity, aspirin use, use of vitamin and mineral pills, fecal occult blood test, colonoscopy etc.). Concerning these topic titles, firstly, the current status of attitude and behaviour concerning prevention against cancer and screening was asked; in the second stage, it was asked whether a change occurred in their attitude and behavior after their relative was diagnosed with cancer and if any, type of the change occurred was asked.With an aim to compare the data obtained as a result of the questionnaire, patients and patients? relatives were divided into groups according to their characteristics.Among 336 patient relatives who participated in the questionnaire, 50,6% were male, 49,4% were female, median age was 44 and median BMI was 25,6. It was observed that all patients? relatives participating in the questionnaire found out the patients? disease during the diagnosis of disease; respectively, they were most commonly the patient?s son (25,3%), 31,5% were high school graduates, 57,1% stated that they were getting by in terms of economy, 31% were housewives, 97% were living in Aegean Region, 52,7% have never smoked, 36,3% had alcohol usage, 77,4% did not do regular exercise, 58,6% had a moderate physical activity, 3,6% had a fecal occult blood test and 6,8% underwent colonoscopy.When the patients? relatives were asked about their habitual changes after their patients were diagnosed with cancer, it was seen that 73,6% did not change their smoking habits, 92% did not change their exercise habits, only one person started using aspirin (0,3%), 4 people (1,2%) started using vitamin + mineral pills, 1,5% had a fecal occult blood test, 2,7% underwent colonoscopy, 18,2% changed their nutritional habits, and 6,2% changed their alcohol consumption.It was seen that relatives of patients who were in advanced stage quit smoking at a higher rate (p=0,028); these relatives started doing exercise at a higher rate or increased doing exercise (p=0,012), and they started making nutritional changes at a higher rate (p=0,008).In the evaluation made as per degree of relationship of the patients? relatives, it was seen that after finding out about the disease, patients? spouses made nutritional changes at a higher rate (p=0,000).In the evaluation made as per the gender of questionnaire participants; it was observed that men quit smoking at a higher rate (p=0,000), women did not smoke at a higher rate (p=0.000), and men consumed a higher rate of alcohol compared to women (p=0,000).In the evaluations made as per age group of the questionnaire participants; it was seen that people above 50 quit smoking at a higher rate, where as people below 50 smoked at a higher rate (p=0,012).In the comparisons made with BMI of the patients? relatives; it was observed that those without regular exercise habits had a higher BMI (p=0,002). It was seen that those with a high BMI changed their nutritional habits at a higher rate after finding about their patient?s disease (p=0,015).In the analyses made as per economic status of the questionnaire participants; it was observed that people with a good economic status did regular exercise at a higher rate (p=0,002), and those with a good economic status had a fecal occult blood test at a higher rate (p=0,029).In the comparisons made in terms of education status of patients? relatives, it was seen that, as the education level increased, alcohol consumption (p=0,000) and regular exercise increased (p=0,01), the relatives used vitamin + mineral pills for protection against cancer at a higher rate (p=0,003) and they underwent colonoscopy at a higher rate (p=0,027) after finding out about the disease. On the other hand, it was seen that those with a low education level considered themselves to have a low physical activity at a higher rate in daily life (p=0,003).It was detected that patients? relatives, who had another patient diagnosed with colorectal cancer in their families, underwent colonoscopy at a higher rate compared to other relatives (p=0.037).Consequently, in the baseline assessment of questionnaire participants, they had high rate of smoking, high rate of not doing exercise and high rate of alcohol usage. It was observed that, after their patients were diagnosed with cancer, the majority of them did not change their smoking and exercise habits. It was observed that only the relatives of patients who were in advanced stage quit smoking. Also it was seen that these people increased or started doing exercise and making nutritional changes at a higher rate. Also it was seen that relatives with a higher education level underwent colonoscopy after finding about the disease at a higher rate.