Eating habits, knowledge about cancer prevention and the HPLP scale in Turkish adolescents.
BACKGROUND
Nutritional status and healthy lifestyle are important factors not only in cancer etiology but also for prevention efforts. A good nutritional status contributes to a healthy life with high economic, social and cultural level. Unhealthy eating habits are part of risky behavior seen from adolescence. The present study was therefore carried out to determine eating habits, level of knowledge about cancer prevention and behavior of a group of adolescents.


METHODS
Data were collected using questionnaire covering eating habits and knowledge of adolescents on prevention from cancer, and special scale (HPLP) to determine the related behavior. Three hundred sixty six of 390 students volunteered for study.


RESULTS
Eating habits and the level of cancer prevention knowledge were similar for both genders, except for the exercise issue. The mean total points of adolescents in the Health Promotion Behavior and Subscales was 113,63. While spiritual growth had the highest score in HPLP subscale, exercise had a minimal score. Exercise was the only HPLP subscale with a statistically significant difference between male and female genders.


CONCLUSIONS
Although they have some information, the adolescents surveyed did not have preventive skills relative to their practical life. In general in order to ensure cancer prevention and a healthy life style social, cultural and sportive activities should be encouraged and educational programmes supporting these goals should be designed and applied for all stages of life, starting in early childhood.
Can
Hafize Ozturk
HO
Izmir Ataturk School of Health, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey. hafize.ozturk@ege.edu.tr
Ceber
Esin
E
Sogukpinar
Neriman
N
Saydam
Birsen Karaca
BK
Otles
Semih
S
Ozenturk
Gulsun
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011336:Probability; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology