THE EFFECTS OF HEALTH LITERACY ON EARLY DIAGNOSIS BEHAVIORS OF BREAST AND CERVICAL CANCER IN WOMEN AGED 18-65

Abstract

Background/Aims: This study aimed to determine the effect of health literacy level on early diagnosis Aim: This study aimed to determine the effect of health literacy level on early diagnosis behaviors of breast and cervical cancer in women between the ages of 18 and 65. Material and Method: The descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with female patients who admitted to the Obstetrics and Gynecology Outpatient Clinics of a Training and Research Hospital in the Central Black Sea region. Data were collected using the Introductory Information Questionnaire prepared by the researcher and the European Health Literacy Scale (HLS-EU) between June 2019 and January 2020. The sample of the study included 395 women who were not pregnant, had not undergone hysterectomy, were between the ages of 18 and 65, were married or sexually active, had no psychiatric, hearing or visual impairments, and were not diagnosed with breast and cervical cancer before. Results: 70.1% of women are between the ages of 25-44. 42.3% of women are graduates of higher education, 46.8% of them are not working. 91.9% of all women are married and 83.8% have a nuclear family. The mean general health literacy score of women on the European Health Literacy Scale (HLS-EU) is 32.43± 7.36. 40.3% of women have a problematic-limited level of health literacy. In the study, a statistically significant relationship was determined between the general score of European Health Literacy Scale (HLS-EU) and the state of knowing CBE (p=0.027) gender of the doctor in CBE (p=0.019), having gynecological examination before (p=0.008), knowing Pap-smear test (p=0.027), having Pap-smear test before (p=0.008), Conclusion: The level of health literacy of women is problematic- limited. It has been determined that breast and cervical cancer information and early screening practices are insufficient, and insufficient health literacy level prevents participation in cancer screenings.