title: Knowledge of Turkish mothers with children in the 0-13 age group about cancer symptoms.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There have been few studies in Turkey on the incidence of childhood cancers. A mother's knowledge about signs and symptoms of cancer is important for early diagnosis, effective treatment, and improvement of life expectancy. This study was conducted with a group of mothers of children, aged 0-13, at a Family Health Center (FHC) in Turkey's Eastern Black Sea Region, to analyze their knowledge about cancer symptoms in childhood.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group of this descriptive/cross-sectional research comprised 2,061 mothers, ages 19-49, at an FHC in the Eastern Black Sea Region in February 1, 2011 - June 1, 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 the ages of 40-47, 40.5% had three children, 73.8% had no experience with children with cancer, 45.9% said they learned about cancer on television, 39.7% stated that the primary reason for childhood cancer was the mother's smoking during pregnancy, 68.8% said that early diagnosis would save a child, and 98% wanted to learn about childhood cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It was determined that the mothers' knowledge of cancer was deficient.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey. cdemirbag@gmail.com
authors.forename: Birsel Canan
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Demirbag
authors.forename: Meltem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurtuncu
authors.forename: Hadiye
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guven
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey; D055815:Young Adult