Evaluation of the attitudes of veterinary students towards cancer in animals using a cancer attitude scale for animals

Abstract

The aim of this descriptive study was to examine the attitudes of veterinary undergraduate students towards cancer in animalswith cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions by a new cancer attitude scale for animals approach. Questionnaires, as datacollection tools, were applied to 205 students training to be veterinary surgeons at Afyon Kocatepe University, Faculty of VeterinaryMedicine, who were selected by systematic random sampling method. Validity-reliability analysis and t-test as well as ANOVA wereused in addition to descriptive statistics for the data analysis. The students’ general attitudes to cancer were (X̄ = 3.65) greater thanthe midscore, 3, according to 5-point Likert-type scale; however, in some issues (surgical intervention and biopsy cause cancer,understanding of treatment options with respect to cancer type, sugar loading during PET-SCAN imaging technique may cause sideeffects on cancer patients etc.) it was observed that their attitudes differed from the expected level. Moreover, the attitude of the studentsat cognitive level was more negative than their attitude for the affective and behavioral dimensions. In addition, affective and behavioralattitudes of female students and pet owners (dog or cat) were more positive.