KANSERLİ ÇOCUKLAR HAKKINDA ANADOLU’NUN KIRSAL BİR İLİNDEKİ ANNELERİN BİLGİ, TUTUM VE DAVRANIŞLARI

Amac: Kanser ciddi ve kronik bir hastalik olmasinin otesinde belirsizlikler iceren, olumu cagristiran, sucluluk, terk edilme, panik, dusmanlik, ofke ve kaygi uyandiran bir hastalik olarak algilanir. Kanserli cocuklarin ebeveynlerinde % 50 oraninda psikiyatrik bozukluk goruldugu bunlarin da yaklasik % 73’unun depresif bozukluk oldugu bildirilmektedir. Bu calismada cocukluk cagi kanserine karsi annelerin bilgi, tutum ve davranislarini degerlendirmek, sosyoekonomik ve demografik ozellikler ile iliskisinin saptamasi amaclanmistir. Gerec ve Yontem : Bu kesitsel arastirmaya Kirikkale ilinde oturan, 1 ay - 16 yas arasi cocugu olan 300 anne alinmistir. Ornekleme yontemi kullanilmadan, herhangi bir nedenle hastanemiz poliklinigine ve hastanemize en yakin iki saglik ocagina basvuran annelere arastirma hakkinda bilgi verilip izinleri alindiktan sonra yuz yuze gorusme teknigi ile otuz sekiz soruluk anket formlari doldurulmustur. Bulgular: Annelerin % 40,3’unun yakin cevresinde kanser tanisi almis cocuk oldugunu, % 21’inin saglik merkezlerinden, % 35’nin medyadan, % 11’nin arkadas ve akrabadan, % 33’un ise medya, arkadas ve akrabadan kanser ile ilgili bilgileri aldigi ogrenildi. En cok bilinen cocukluk cagi kanserinin losemi ve lenfoma oldugu gorulmustur. Annelerin sadece % 7,3’unun (sayi: 22) kanser icin tarama yaptirdigi ogrenilmistir. Ailesinde kanser hastasi olmasi ile kanser taramasi yaptirmasi arasinda bir iliski olmadigi gorulmustur (p> 0,05). Kanserin 3 ana nedeni arasinda sigara, yiyecekler, alkol yer almaktaydi. Anneler arasinda sigara icme orani % 57 idi ve bu farklilik istatistiksel olarak anlamli olmamakla birlikte dusuk bilgi duzeyli olanlarda sigara icme daha yaygindi. Annelerin % 23’u kanserin tedavi edilemez olduguna inanmaktadir. Annelerin % 22,7’sinin kanser hakkinda yeterli bilgi sahibi oldugu gorulmustur. Annelerin % 71,7’si cocugu kanser tanisi almis olsaydi cocuguna soylemeyecegini, % 7,7’si ne yapacagini bilmedigini ifade etmislerdir. Sonuc: Kanserin onlenmesi ve tedavisi konusunda kayginin azaltilmasi icin ailelerin daha cok bilgilendirilmeye ihtiyac duydugu saptanmistir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Cocukluk Cagi Kanserleri, Ebeveynler, Bilgi ve Endise MOTHERS’ KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, AND BEHAVIOUR CONCERNING CHILDHOOD CANCER IN A RURAL ANATOLIAN PROVINCE Purpose: Cancer is a physical disease but it has mental and social components. It is usually perceived as an illness that suggests death involving feelings of guilt, panic, hostility, aggression, anxiety, loneliness, and helplessness. It was reported that 50% of the parents of cancer patients had psychiatric disorders and that 73% of these were depressive disorders. The main reason for the anxiety is the close association of the illness with death and a lack of knowledge about childhood cancers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes and anxiety level of mothers regarding childhood cancers. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study examined 300 mothers of children who presented to Kirikkale University, Medical School, Pediatrics Department and two health centers in central Kirikkale. Questionnaires consisting of 38 questions were completed by a research assistant by face-to-face interviews after permission was obtained from the mothers. The mothers’ knowledge was regarded as good if 8-10 of the 10 knowledge questions about cancer were answered correctly, while 4-7 indicated moderate knowledge and 0-3 poor knowledge. Results: At least one cancer patient in their close community was known to 40.3% of the mothers. Information on cancer was mostly obtained from healthcare centers (20.7%), the media (35.3%), friends and relatives (10.7%), or both the media and friends and relatives (33.3%). The most widely known childhood cancers were leukemia and lymphoma. The rate of cancer screening among the participants was 7.3% (n= 22). There was no significant correlation between having a family member with cancer and undergoing screening for cancer (p>0.05). The three main reasons for cancer were stated as smoking, food, and alcohol. The rate of smoking among the mothers was 57% and smoking was more common among mothers with less knowledge although this difference was not statistically significant. Twenty-three percent of the participants thought that cancer could not be treated.  Mostly mothers stated that they would feel great sorrow and would experience great anxiety if they had a child with cancer. Only 22.7% of the mothers had sufficient knowledge about cancer. Anxiety on a subject exists when the level of information is inadequate. However, we found no correlation between the anxiety levels and the level of information about cancer among the mothers. Moreover, 71.7% of the mothers stated that they would not tell their child if he or she were diagnosed with cancer, while 7.7% said that they would not know what to do in that situation. Conclusion: The level of kowledge about cancer among the public is inadequate and thisresults in subjective value judgments, which directly influence anxiety levels. Therefore, parents need to be informed more extensively about the prevention and treatment of cancer to decrease their anxiety. Keywords: Childhood Cancer, Parents, Knowledge And Anxiety