Evaluation of individuals' health beliefs and their association with testicular self-examination: adult sample from Amasya

Abstract

Background Testicular self-examination is important for the early diagnosis and treatment of testicular cancer; the nature of the examination itself influences individuals' health beliefs about testicular self-examination. Methods This descriptive research study was carried out using 152 individuals working at Amasya University between August and November 2016. A personal information form and Champion's Health Belief Model Scale were used for the data collection stage of this research. Descriptive statistical tests, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis variance analysis and Cronbach's alpha were used in the data analysis stage. Results Analysis of respondents' sociodemographic data revealed that the study participants' mean age was 38.889.36, and that 112 participants (73.7%) were married and 76 participants (50.0%) had a graduate degree at the time the study was conducted. Of the research participants, 134 (88.2%) had no training on testicular self-examination; a statistically significant difference (p<0.05) was found between participants' consciousness of their capability to perform testicular self-examination on their own and the mean factor scores of the Champion's Health Belief Model Scale's barriers of testicular self-examination' and self-effectiveness' items. Conclusion The study found that health beliefs play a part in individuals' positive health behaviours regarding testicular self-examination.