Abstract:
Background: The global cancer burden is estimated to have risen to 18.1 million new cases
and 9.6 million deaths in 2018. More than two thirds of these deaths occurred in low- and
middle- income countries (LMIC). In LMIC countries like Tanzania cancer management faces
many challenges including poor cancer community awareness resulting into inadequate care
and poor survival.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate short term outcomes of clinical health
education interventions in improving knowledge, attitude, and perception of cancer patient
healthy relatives towards cancer and its management.
Materials and Methods: This was cross-sectional study design. Participants were relatives of
cancer patients enrolled into the study when escorting their patients visiting Ocean Road
Cancer Institute for cancer management. They were recruited using systematic sampling
procedure, and face to face interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive data
analysis performed using SPSS software version 22 and level of significance tested by t-test
statistical procedure.
Results: Study participants 60.5% were females, 53.3% aged between 24 to 44 years old, only
12 % attained university level education, 64.5% were married and 53.5% were from coast
region. Health education significantly improved mean average score of cancer knowledge
from 8.4 ± 2.068 to 11.67 ± 1.92, (p<0.0005). Pre and post health education perception score
were 4.62 ± 0.913 and 5.05 ± 0.807 respectively (p < 0.0005). Cancer patient relatives had
generally positive baseline attitude which minimally improved after health education with pre
and post health education mean of 2.88 ± 0.942 and 3.2 ± 0.928 (p<0.0005) respectively.
Those attained university educations had higher (44.9%) baseline adequate knowledge of
cancer which increased to 77.6% after health education compared those with primary level
(11.7%), which also increased to 75.1% after health education. Conclusion: Health education in clinical settings significantly improves cancer knowledge,
perception and attitude of its participants. Age and sex of cancer patient relatives was neither
affects the baseline knowledge, attitude and perception of cancer nor affects uptake of health
education. Education level of participants was found to significantly affect both cancer
baseline knowledge and their uptakes of health education
