Gynecological cancer awareness and affecting factors in postmenopausal women

This descriptive study was conducted in order to determine the gynecological cancer awareness levels of postmenopausal women and the factors affecting this awareness. The research was conducted between November 1, 2023 and January 31, 2024, at Ankara Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Training and Research Hospital, Local Building, and 385 women who met the criteria were collected via face-to-face interviews. The "Personal Information Form" and "Gynecological Cancer Awareness Scale (GCAAS)" prepared by the researcher were used as data collection tools. Independent groups t-test, ANOVA, Mann Whitney U, Kruskal Wallis, Pearson and Spearman correlation analyses were used to evaluate the data. The mean age of the women participating in the study was 56,89±4,68, the majority of whom were married (78,7%) and had a middle-income level (62,3%). 54,8% of the participants had not had a gynecological examination before, and 57,9% had not had a screening test for reproductive organ cancers. The total mean score of JIKFÖ was determined as 150,37±19,19. In the analyses performed; it was determined that factors such as education level (p=0,002), employment status (p=0,031), income level (p=0,018), presence of social security (p=0,001), receiving information about menopause (p<0,001), having a gynecological examination (p<0,001), having a screening test for reproductive organ cancer (p<0,001) and performing self-vulva examination (p<0,001) affected the level of gynecological cancer awareness statistically significantly. As a result, gynecological cancer awareness of postmenopausal women is at a moderate level above average. It was found to be significantly associated with some socio-demographic, knowledge level and behavioral factors. In line with these findings, it is recommended to plan interventions aimed at improving screening habits and increasing awareness through health education. Keywords: Postmenopause, Gynecological Cancer, Awareness, Women's Health, Nursing Science Code: 1032.03