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Ovarian cancer awareness of women in Turkey: A cross-sectional study
Meltem Ugurlu1, Ruveyde Aydin2, Fatma Uslu Sahan3
1Health Sciences Faculty of Gulhane, Midwifery Department, University of Health Sciences Turkey, Etlik, Keçiören, Ankara, Turkey.
Purpose:
Early diagnosis of ovarian cancer (OC) increases survival rates; however, due to low awareness levels, women may be diagnosed with OC at the advanced stage. The aim of this cross-sectional study is to reveal the OC awareness of Turkish women and affecting factors.
Methods:
Participants were invited to study via social media tools between February-June 2022. Data was collected with Personal Information Form and the "OC Awareness Scale" from 446 women.
Results:
81% of the participants did not recall OC symptoms, 80.8% recognized OC risk factors. The most frequently recalled and recognized OC symptom is pelvic pain (19.8%; 55.8%, respectively). The most frequently recalled and recognized OC risk factors were smoking (43.1%, 67.9%, respectively) and family history (39%, 58.7%, respectively). 2% of the participants felt very confident in recognizing the signs, 72.9% would seek help within 1-2 days when they recognized the signs of OC.
Conclusions:
The awareness of OC was higher among women who had advanced age, higher education, family history and were in menopause. Turkish women have low level of awareness and knowledge about OC symptoms and risk factors. There is an urgent need for an OC awareness campaign that takes into account the socio-demographic characteristics of women. The results of the study may also guide strategies to prevent OC.
