Beliefs and behaviours of students in health‐related faculties regarding testicular self‐examination

Abstract

What are the beliefs and behaviours of men students attending health-related faculties at a university regarding testicular self-examination? This study was conducted with the aim of identifying the approaches of men students attending health-related faculties at a university towards testicular self-examination, determining their levels of awareness of testicular self-examination and contributing to early diagnosis of testicular tumours. Testicular cancer is a disease that can result in death if not diagnosed early, but high treatment success rates can be achieved if diagnosed early. Lack of knowledge related to the risks created by testicular cancer and to testicular selfexamination, which is very important for early diagnosis in young men, is revealed to be among the reasons for delay in diagnosis and treatment. The study was conducted between September and November 2019 in health-related faculties of a state university in southern Turkey. The study universe consisted of a total of 370 men students studying in fourth grade in health-related faculties nursing, medicine and dentistry. A 'Descriptive Characteristics Form' and 'Champion's Health Belief Model Scale' were used as data collection tools. Percentage, Levene's test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), chi-square and eta squared were used to evaluate the data. While 59.6% of students in the nursing faculty stated that they had previously received information related to testicular self-examination, 72% of students in the medical faculty and 67.7% of students in the dentistry faculty stated that they had not previously received information about this issue. Among students in the nursing faculty who had received information, it was determined that 75.0% had learnt about it in lessons and that 45.9% had performed testicular self-examination. Regarding the arithmetic means of the sub-dimension scores of the Champion's Health Belief Model Scale according to faculty attended, there was a significant difference in the benefits (F (2,168) = 4.915; p = 0.08), barriers (F(2,168) = 4.831; p = 0.09) and self-efficacy/ confident (F(2,168) = 5.816; p = 0.04) sub-dimensions. The study revealed that testicular self-examination implementation rates and attitudes towards testicular selfexamination among university students studying at health-related faculties were low.

Effect of educational guidelines on knowledge and practice regarding testicular self-examination among male students

“…The current study displayed that less than half of male students reported source of information regarding testicular self-examination was books. This result incongruent with Karazeybek et al, (2021) who conducted study about "Beliefs and behaviors of students in health-related faculties regarding testicular self-examination" and showed three quarters of the male student their information related to testis cancer from their lesson. Also, these results different from study by Pour et al, (2018) under title "The effect of testicular selfexamination education on knowledge, performance, and health beliefs of Turkish men" and showed that of the male students' sample got information related to testicular cancer and TSE via books.…”

“…Lack of knowledge related to the risks created by TC and to testicular selfexamination (TSE), which is very important for early diagnosis in young men, is revealed to be among the reasons for delay in diagnosis and treatment. Performing TSE regularly once a month is very important for individuals' familiarity with their testicular tissue and for any difference to be diagnosed early (Karazeybek et al, 2021). This study aimed to evaluate the effect of educational guidelines on knowledge and practice of male students regarding testicular self-examination.…”