Effect of gynecological and breast cancer education using a creative drama method on midwifery students’ awareness: a randomized controlled trial

Midwifery students need adequate awareness of gynecological and breast cancers to support prevention, early detection, and health education. To examine the effect of a creative drama–based cancer education program on midwifery students’ awareness of gynecological and breast cancers. Randomized controlled trial with a pretest–posttest control-group design conducted in one university midwifery school in Türkiye. Second-year midwifery students were randomized to creative drama–based education (five weekly sessions, 120 min/session) or lecture-based education. Outcomes were measured using the Gynecological Cancers Awareness Scale (GCAS) and the Breast Cancer Awareness Scale (BCAS) at baseline and 5 weeks later. Fifty-three students were randomized (intervention n = 27; control n = 26) and all were analyzed. Posttest scores were higher in the intervention group for GCAS total (187.15 ± 19.09 vs. 172.00 ± 21.84; p = 0.015; Cohen’s d = 0.74) and BCAS total (79.81 ± 11.36 vs. 57.20 ± 6.25; p = 0.010; d = 2.45). Within the intervention group, both GCAS and BCAS subscale scores increased significantly from pretest to posttest (p < 0.05), whereas no significant changes were observed in the control group. Creative drama–based education produced statistically significant and practically meaningful improvements in midwifery students’ awareness of gynecological and breast cancers compared with lecture-based education. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07073599; retrospectively registered on 2025-07-10.