Abstract
There have been few studies in Turkey on the incidence of childhood cancers. A mother's knowledge about signs and symptoms of cancer is important for early diagnosis, effective treatment, and improvement of life expectancy. This study was conducted with a group of mothers of children, aged 0-13, at a Family Health Center (FHC) in Turkey's Eastern Black Sea Region, to analyze their knowledge about cancer symptoms in childhood. The study group of this descriptive/cross-sectional research comprised 2,061 mothers, ages 19-49, at an FHC in the Eastern Black Sea Region in February 1, 2011 - June 1, 2011. Before the study, permission was obtained from the local ethics board and the institutions concerned. A value of p<0.05 was accepted as statistically significant. Of the mothers, 34.9% were between the ages of 40-47, 40.5% had three children, 73.8% had no experience with children with cancer, 45.9% said they learned about cancer on television, 39.7% stated that the primary reason for childhood cancer was the mother's smoking during pregnancy, 68.8% said that early diagnosis would save a child, and 98% wanted to learn about childhood cancer. It was determined that the mothers' knowledge of cancer was deficient.
Highlights
Cancer is a potentially fatal disease with high incidence that threatens health and family in society, taking second place in terms of mortality in Turkey and in many other countries in the world after cardiovascular disease. (Bilge and Ünal, 2005; Peter and Bernard, 2008)
This study was conducted with a group of mothers of children, aged 0-13, at a Family Health Center (FHC) in Turkey’s Eastern Black Sea Region, to analyze their knowledge about cancer symptoms in childhood
Of the mothers, 34.9% were between the ages of 40-47, 40.5% had three children, 73.8% had no experience with children with cancer, 45.9% said they learned about cancer on television, 39.7% stated that the primary reason for childhood cancer was the mother’s smoking during pregnancy, 68.8% said that early diagnosis would save a child, and 98% wanted to learn about childhood cancer
Summary
Cancer is a potentially fatal disease with high incidence that threatens health and family in society, taking second place in terms of mortality in Turkey and in many other countries in the world after cardiovascular disease. (Bilge and Ünal, 2005; Peter and Bernard, 2008). The development of childhood cancer takes a certain period of time (Esin et al, 2004) In this period, a mother’s knowledge of the signs and symptoms of cancer is very important for early diagnosis, effective treatment, and in terms of life expectancy. A look into studies of cancer incidence in Turkey shows that cancer in the Black Sea. Region is no different than in other parts of the country (Peter and Bernard, 2008). This study was conducted with mothers of children in the 0-13 age group who had come to the Family Health Center of a province in Turkey’s Eastern Black Sea Region, for the purpose of analyzing the level of knowledge mothers displayed in the context of identifying cancer symptoms in their children
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