The Effect of Health Belief Model-Based Cancer Education on Cancer Information Load, Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Cancer Screenings

Cancer is a significant public health issue with high morbidity and mortality rates worldwide and in our country. According to cancer statistics published by the World Health Organization\'s International Agency for Research on Cancer, the number of people diagnosed with cancer increases every year. In 2022, the global number of new cancer cases was 20 million, and it is estimated to reach 32.6 million by 2045. Cancer ranks second among all causes of death globally and in Turkey, with approximately one in every six individuals succumbing to cancer according to WHO estimates. The increasing number of cancer cases day by day unders cores the importance of cancer as it exerts physical, emotional, and financial pressure on individuals, families, and society and is a significant cause of death.

In secondary prevention methods for cancer prevention, early diagnosis and screening programs encompass the diagnosis and treatment of the disease before it progresses. In our country, cancer screenings include breast cancer, cervical cancer, and colon cancer screenings. It is important to raise awareness in the community about early diagnosis and screening programs for cancer. All individuals in the society should learn the causes, risk factors, and symptoms of cancer from accurate and reliable sources. Research results indicate that participants knowledge about cancer screenings is not at a sufficient level. With the high prevalence of cancer in society, individuals are increasingly seeking information about cancer. However, as knowledge about cancer increases, individuals may experience information overload, which can lead to confusion. Studies have shown that as the burden of cancer knowledge increases, individuals tend to avoid cancer-related information and engage in fewer health-protective, preventive behaviors.

The Health Belief Model pos its that individuals health behaviors are influenced by beliefs, values, and attitudes and is frequently used in health education. The primary aim of the Health Belief Model is to understand what motivates individuals to engage in preventive behaviors, to undergo health screenings forearly diagnosis, and to control the in diseases, and to develop interventions tailored to the individual. This study aims to evaluate the effect of cancer educati on based on the Health Belief Model on the knowled geand attitudes towards cancer screenings among caregivers of cancer patients.

The population of the study consists of individual sproviding care to cancer patients who have agreed to participate in the research, aged between 30 and 70 years, literate, and with out anyyisual, auditory, intellectual, or orthopedic impairments. Th eincluded individuals (78 caregivers) will be stratified by the clinics where they provide care and weighted according to the number of inpatients they carefor. The experimental and control groups will be listed and numbered separately for each clinic, and random sampling will be conducted using a real random number generator (https://www.random.org/). Random selections will be planned sequentially, with one experimental and one control group alternately. Selection will continue until the sample size is reached. As part of thepre-test, the introductory information form, Cancer Knowledge Scale, Cancer Screening Knowledge Scale, and Cancer Screening Attitude Scale will be administered to individuals in both the experimental and control groups. The experimental group will receive a 4-week cancer education program based on the Health Belief Model, while no interventi on will be made for the control group. As part of the post-test, the Cancer Knowledge Scale, Cancer Screening Knowledge Scale, and Cancer Screening Attitude Scale will be administered to both the experimental and control groups. Data analysis will be performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 25.0 program.

Cancer screenings ensure the early detection of cancer. Cancers diagnosed in the early stages are easier, faster, and more cost-effective to cure and treat compared to advanced-stage cancers. This study may provide guid an ceto caregivers of cancer patients by increasing their knowledge about cancer and cancer screening programs, reducing the burden of cancer knowledge, and increasing participation rates in screenin gprograms. Additionally, this study may shed light on the impact of cancer education on cancer knowledge, screening knowledge, and attitudes among individuals with different demographic characteristics.