Knowledge of Turkish Mothers with Children in the 0-13 AgeGroup about Cancer Symptoms

Background: There have been few studies in Turkey on the incidence of childhood cancers. A mother’sknowledge about signs and symptoms of cancer is important for early diagnosis, effective treatment, andimprovement of life expectancy. This study was conducted with a group of mothers of children, aged 0-13, at aFamily Health Center (FHC) in Turkey’s Eastern Black Sea Region, to analyze their knowledge about cancersymptoms in childhood. Materials and
Methods: The study group of this descriptive/cross-sectional researchcomprised 2,061 mothers, ages 19-49, at an FHC in the Eastern Black Sea Region in February 1, 2011 - June1, 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.
Results: Of the mothers, 34.9% were between theages of 40-47, 40.5% had three children, 73.8% had no experience with children with cancer, 45.9% said theylearned about cancer on television, 39.7% stated that the primary reason for childhood cancer was the mother’ssmoking during pregnancy, 68.8% said that early diagnosis would save a child, and 98% wanted to learn aboutchildhood cancer.
Conclusion: It was determined that the mothers’ knowledge of cancer was deficient.