Smoking and Ovarian Cancer Awareness: Assessing the Impact on Knowledge and Perception Among Adult Women

Background: The effects of smoking status, which is a risk factor for many cancers, on ovarian cancer awareness in women has not yet been adequately investigated. Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between smoking status and ovarian cancer awareness levels in women. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted with the help of an online questionnaire form between 22.03.2023 and 22.05.2023 among volunteer women over the age of 18. No sample calculation was made. The questionnaire included 15 questions about sociodemographic and health-related data and the Ovarian Cancer Awareness Scale (Cronbach's alpha = 0.768). Results: 228 women participated in the study. The mean age of the participants was 36.71 ± 11.59 years, 85.5% were university graduates, 21.9% were health personnel and 26.8% were smokers. It was determined that 44.3% of the participants had a family history of cancer and 32.7% of them had gynecologic cancer. In our study, the mean score of the ovarian cancer awareness scale was 47.75 ± 14.62. The level of ovarian cancer awareness was found to be statistically significantly higher in university graduates, health personnel and non-smokers (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p = 0.003, respectively). A weak negative correlation was observed with age and smoking duration and ovarian cancer awareness scores (p = 0.001, r = −0.212; p = 0.037, r = −0.274, respectively). Conclusion: In conclusion, the findings suggest that smoking may have a negative impact on ovarian cancer awareness and suggest that efforts to increase women's awareness of ovarian cancer through smoking cessation campaigns and health education programs may be more effective, with a particular focus on smokers.