A study on obese patients' participation in cancer screening programs: an example from Turkey

Obesity is associated with many types of cancers. Despite this, the participation of obese individuals in cancer screenings is limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cancer screening-related attitudes of obese patients.

The study included 185 obese patients who presented to the obesity center (OC) and 191 obese patients who presented to the family medicine outpatient clinic from October to December 2019. The participants in both groups were first asked whether or not they had ever undergone any cancer screening tests and then provided with relevant training. After 3 months, the participants were contacted again and their attitudes toward cancer screening tests were re-evaluated.

Patients who followed in the OC were found to have higher awareness of and compliance with cancer screening tests than the obese patients admitted to the outpatient clinic. The factors of being female, being followed in the OC, and residing in an urban area were positively associated with participation in cancer screening tests.

Monitoring obese patients in target-oriented facilities such as an OC increases the chance of success in the fight against obesity and related health problems.