Breast and Cervical Cancer Awareness Training in Visually Impaired Women

This quasi-experimental study aims to determine whether a breast and cervical cancer awareness training program can increase participation in cancer screening among women with visual impairments. The study also aims to identify barriers to screening and improve knowledge about cancer risk factors and screening methods. The main questions this study will address are: * Does the training increase the rate at which women with visual impairments attend cancer screening appointments? * Does the training improve participants' knowledge about breast and cervical cancer? Participants will: * Receive training on breast and cervical cancer risk factors and screening methods. * Learn how to apply to the Cancer Early Diagnosis, Screening, and Training Center. * Be encouraged to attend cancer screening during the study period. * Have knowledge and screening status assessed before the training, immediately after, and three months later.

Cancer is recognized as a significant public health problem both worldwide and in Türkiye; with its physical and psychosocial burden, it reduces individuals' quality of life and imposes a substantial economic burden on the healthcare system. Breast and cervical cancer are among the most common types of cancer in women, and mortality rates can be significantly reduced through early diagnosis methods. However, not all segments of society have equal opportunities to access these screening programs. Especially, individuals with disabilities face serious barriers in accessing healthcare services; this situation decreases the rate of benefiting from screening services and deepens health inequalities. Visually impaired women are among the most disadvantaged groups due to gender norms and physical access difficulties. At this point, the nursing profession plays an important role. Nurses, through professional roles such as practitioner, educator, advocate, counselor, and case manager, contribute to ensuring equal access to healthcare services for individuals. The assessment of healthcare needs of individuals with disabilities, providing appropriate training, and increasing awareness are integral parts of nursing care. In this context, health education programs planned by nurses for individuals with disabilities present an important opportunity to increase early diagnosis behaviors and reduce health inequalities. This project aims to evaluate the effect of breast and cervical cancer awareness training on the screening behavior of visually impaired women. In the project, the "GORSEM" (Awareness Training on Breast and Cervical Cancer for Visually Impaired Women) program, developed based on the Health Belief Model, will be implemented. The training content includes recognizing risk factors, the importance of early diagnosis, screening methods, and information on accessing primary healthcare centers. Participants will be referred to screening centers. \- Aim The main aim of this project is to evaluate the effect of breast and cervical cancer awareness training on participation behavior in cancer screenings and the level of knowledge of visually impaired women. With the "GORSEM" program developed within the scope of the project, the goal is to increase early diagnosis behaviors and reduce health inequalities. \- Objectives * To increase the participation rate in breast cancer (mammography) screening among participants in the intervention group compared to the control group * To increase the participation rate in cervical cancer (Pap smear) screening among participants in the intervention group compared to the control group * To increase the cancer knowledge level scale score of participants in the intervention group compared to the control group * To increase the benefit, seriousness, and self-efficacy subscale scores in the Health Belief Model scale of participants in the intervention group compared to the control group * To decrease the perceived barr trial.show_full_description

Eligibility Criteria Inclusion Criteria: * Women with only a visual impairment (congenital or acquired) * Able to communicate, speak, and understand Turkish * Voluntarily agree to participate in the study * Over the age of 40 * Have had previous sexual intercourse (Pap smear screening requires sexual activity) Exclusion Criteria: * Diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer * Under the age of 40 * Have not had sexual intercourse before * Have undergone screening for at least one of these two cancer types (breast or cervical) within the last year According to the Turkish Ministry of Health, General Directorate of Public Health, in current screenings conducted in our country, within the breast cancer screening program for women, mammography is recommended every two years for women aged 40-69, and within the cervical cancer screening program, Pap smear and HPV-DNA tests are recommended every five years for women aged 30-65. Since women will be referred by the researchers to KETEM centers after training to undergo mammography and Pap smear screening tests, visually impaired women over the age of 40 who have previously had sexual intercourse will be included in the study, as these two screening tests are performed in this common age group and Pap smear screening requires being sexually active.