Awareness of Skin Cancer in the Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in Iran Guilan Cohort Study Population

Abstract

Objectives This study aimed to investigate the level of awareness of skin cancer among the Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in Iran (PERSIAN) Guilan cohort study (PGCS) population. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted on 625 participants of PGCS in Guilan, Iran, in 2022. The demographic and clinical information of the participants was recorded, and individuals with a history of skin cancer were excluded from the study. The awareness about skin cancer was collected using a questionnaire containing 26 questions with a cutoff score of 13 as an average score. All data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Version 21, considering a significance level < .05. Results Out of 625 participants, 41.84% were male. About 218 (32.9%) participants had a level of awareness about skin cancer higher than the average, in which 169 (25.5%), 276 (41.7%), 18 (2.8%), and 134 (20.2%) of participants had a higher-than-average score in epidemiology, causes, clinical manifestations, and prevention and treatment fields, respectively. The findings illustrated that the awareness score about skin cancer was significantly different based on gender, source of information on causes, and scope of clinical manifestations (p < .05). Also, the level of education and visiting a doctor could significantly affect the level of awareness (p < .05). Conclusion The PGCS population had low awareness of skin cancer. Identifying knowledge gaps can guide the development of targeted educational resources. Dermatology nurses can play a key role in creating and implementing health education programs that promote early detection of cancer symptoms, starting with increasing knowledge about early warning signs.