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Cancer awareness among adolescents in second-level education: a mixed methods systematic review
Stephanie Lawrence1, Serena FitzGerald1, Josephine Hegarty1
1Catherine McAuley School of Nursing and Midwifery, University College Cork, Cork T12 AK54, Ireland.
Health Education Research
|May 12, 2025
Summary
Adolescents show low cancer symptom awareness and knowledge of lifestyle risks. Improving cancer awareness programs is crucial for earlier diagnosis and better outcomes in young people.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Public Health
- Adolescent Health
Background:
- Adolescent cancer awareness is critical for early detection and improved survival rates.
- Limited understanding of cancer symptoms and risk factors among adolescents poses a significant public health challenge.
- Existing research highlights a need to synthesize current evidence on adolescent cancer awareness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and synthesize evidence on cancer awareness among adolescents.
- To identify knowledge gaps and barriers related to cancer symptom recognition and help-seeking behaviors in adolescents.
- To inform the development of targeted cancer awareness interventions for adolescent populations.
Main Methods:
- A systematic review was conducted following Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines.
- Searches were performed across seven electronic databases for studies published between January 2010 and March 2022, with an update in April 2024.
- Narrative synthesis was employed to analyze data from 21 included studies.
Main Results:
- Adolescents demonstrated low awareness of cancer symptoms and significant barriers to seeking medical help for potential cancer signs.
- Adolescents were found to be underinformed about lifestyle behaviors that modify cancer risk, potentially increasing engagement in health risk behaviors.
- A consistent finding across studies was the insufficient knowledge regarding cancer prevention and early detection strategies.
Conclusions:
- Findings underscore the urgent need for proactive cancer awareness initiatives targeting adolescents.
- Enhanced cancer education can improve adolescent knowledge, leading to increased help-seeking behaviors for cancer symptoms.
- Promoting cancer awareness is essential for facilitating earlier diagnosis and improving patient outcomes in adolescents.
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