Abstract:

Cancers are among the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in the world. The National Cancer Screening Program is carried out in Turkey since 2008. However, studies show that participation rates in the screening program are not sufficient. This study aims to determine the variables that affect the awareness of individuals about the tests within the scope of the National Cancer Screening Program and their status of having these tests. In the cross-sectional study, 449 people were administered a face-to-face questionnaire. The rates of having breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening tests were quite low compared to the rates of having heard of these tests. The most important reasons for non-participation in all three screening programs were identified as lack of knowledge. Eliminating the lack of information in the society through healthcare personnel, media and other health literacy activities and replacing erroneous information with correct information are recommended as studies to increase participation in screening tests.

Keywords: