Cancer awareness among university students in Turkey

One of the most important reasons for the high mortality rates of cancer is the low level of awareness, which can lead to a late diagnosis and treatments starting too late. Therefore, it is necessary for individuals, especially at younger age, to gain awareness and integrate taking the necessary precautions into their lifestyle in order to prevent cancer and ensure early diagnosis. The aim of this study was to assess the levels of awareness of factors for major cancers among students studying in two different campuses of a university in the Western Black Sea Region.

This descriptive/cross-sectional study was performed between January-March 2014. Students studying in the 2013-2014 academic year in a university in the Western Black Sea Region in two separate campuses were the subjects.

The mean age was 21.01 ± 3.63. While female students (51.2%) were the majority in the health sciences campus (74.8%), male students (48.8% ) were the majority in the social sciences campus (76.5%). Some 9.6% of the students from the health sciences campus and 12.4% of the students from the social sciences campus thought that cancer was communicable, while most of the students from both campuses knew that smoking caused cancer. It can also be seen that the rate of answering questions regarding cancer correctly was higher among students studying in the health sciences campus.

It was determined that students who do not study at the health sciences campus have insufficient information on cancer, cancer symptoms, and the possibility of breast cancer in males and approximately half of them regarded obesity as a risk factor for cancer.