MUMehmet Uçar

Mehmet Uçar

*This is an algorithmically generated author record based on publicly available information.

Current Organizations / Institutes

The organizations/institutes from the scholar's latest article


Mehmet Uçar has a total of 37 co-authors. Here are the top co-authors by number of shared publications:


Latest Publications

  • The Effects of Cancer Fear and Ruminative Thinking Styles on Attitudes Toward Cancer Screening Among Cancer Caregivers

    by Muhammet Faruk Yiğit, Yakup Sarpdağı, Mehmet Uçar

    Despite being exposed to a high risk of cancer and a substantial psychological burden, cancer caregivers often neglect their own health check-ups and cancer screening behaviors. This study aimed to examine the effects of ruminative thinking styles and cancer fear on attitudes toward cancer screening among cancer caregivers. This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted between August 2025 and January 2026 with 446 primary caregivers of patients receiving outpatient treatment in the medical and radiation oncology departments of a training and research hospital located in eastern Turkey. Data were collected through face‒to-face interviews via a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Cancer Fear Scale, the Ruminative Thought Style Scale, and the short form of the Attitudes Toward Cancer Screening Scale. The results revealed a moderate, positive, and statistically significant association between fear of cancer and ruminative thoughts (r = 0.543, p < 0.001). Hierarchical regression analysis showed that fear of cancer explained 19.3% of the variance in attitudes toward cancer screening (R2 = 0.193) and that when ruminative thought was included, the explained variance increased to 22.4% (R2 = 0.224). Both variables were identified as significant and negative predictors of attitudes toward cancer screening (p < 0.001). This indicated that ruminative thought partially mediated the relationship between fear of cancer and attitudes toward cancer screening (indirect effect = −0.106, 95% bootstrap CI [− 0.171, −0.056]). These results show that fear of cancer and ruminative thoughts constitute significant psychological barriers that negatively influence the attitudes of individuals providing care to patients with cancer. This underscores the importance for care providers to develop interventions targeting these psychological barriers.

  • Open Access

    Medical mistrust, health system distrust, and their associations with healthcare delay and cancer screening attitudes in primary care

    by Mehmet Uçar, Muhammet Faruk Yi̇ğİt, Mehmet Kaplan

    To examine the associations of medical mistrust and health system distrust with healthcare delay behavior and cancer screening attitudes among adults atten


  • Open Access

    Associations of employment status with social media addiction, anxiety, and parenting self-efficacy among mothers of infants: a cross-sectional study using machine learning

    by Mehmet Uçar, Mehmet Kaplan, Metin Yildiz

    Differences in social media addiction, anxiety, and parenting self-efficacy according to maternal employment status have important implications for materna

  • Open Access

    Effect of a Health Belief Model Based Education Program on Women’s Cervical Cancer Knowledge and HPV Vaccination Attitudes in Primary Care Settings

    by Mehmet Uçar, Muhammet Faruk Yiğit, Sibel Akgül Kartal, Adem Yağan

    Background/Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the effect of a Health Belief Model–based education program implemented in Family Health Centers on women’s cervical cancer knowledge and their attitudes and beliefs toward HPV vaccination. Methods: This quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control group study was conducted between March and May 2026 at the Tuşba Training Family Health Center in Van, eastern Türkiye. The study included 150 women aged 18–49 years who had adolescent daughters aged 10–18 years. Data were collected using the Descriptive Information Form, the Cervical Cancer Knowledge Scale, and the Carolina HPV Immunization Attitudes and Beliefs Scale. The intervention group received a structured education program based on the Health Belief Model focusing on cervical cancer, HPV infection, and HPV vaccination. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, independent samples t-tests, paired samples t-tests, and mixed-design analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used for data analysis. Results: Following the educational intervention, cervical cancer knowledge scores increased from 2.13 ± 0.79 to 7.24 ± 0.84 in the intervention group, whereas no significant change was observed in the control group (p < 0.001). Total CHIAS scores increased from 24.32 ± 5.30 to 41.23 ± 2.51, accompanied by significant improvements in HPV vaccination attitudes and beliefs (p < 0.001). Significant Group × Time interaction effects were observed for cervical cancer knowledge, total CHIAS scores, and all CHIAS subdimensions (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The findings indicated that the Health Belief Model–based education program was associated with improved knowledge about cervical cancer and HPV and with more favorable attitudes and beliefs toward HPV vaccination. Structured educational programs implemented in primary healthcare settings may support the promotion of preventive health behaviors.

  • Primary Care Education Improves Digital Vaccine Literacy and Reduces Hesitancy: A Randomized Trial

    by Mehmet Uçar, Muhammet Faruk Yiğit

    Purpose: To evaluate the effect of a structured primary care-based education program on vaccine hesitancy, digital vaccine literacy, eco-anxiety, and perceived vulnerability to disease among parents of children aged 0–2 years. Method: A randomized controlled, parallel-group pretest–post-test design was used. A total of 178 parents (intervention = 93; control = 85) were included. The intervention group received a 4-week structured education program, while the control group received routine care. Data were collected at three time points and analyzed using mixed-design analysis of variance. Results: Significant time × group interactions were found for all variables ( p < .001). Vaccine hesitancy and eco-anxiety decreased, while digital vaccine literacy and perceived vulnerability significantly increased in the intervention group. Effects were sustained at follow-up. Discussion: Primary care-based education may be an effective and sustainable strategy to improve vaccine-related cognitive and emotional processes and reduce hesitancy among parents. Trial Registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ (NCT07381088); registered January 25, 2026.


  • Open Access

    The Impact of Death Anxiety and Spirituality Level on Psychological Well-Being of Geriatric Home Care Patients: Machine Learning Approach

    by Mehmet Uçar, Metin Yildiz

    Objective To investigate the effects of death anxiety and spirituality on the psychological well-being of geriatric home care patients.Methods A descriptive cross-sectional design was conducted between January and June 2024 with 280 individuals aged ≥65 years living in a provincial center in eastern Türkiye. Data were collected using the personal information form, Spiritual Orientation Scale, Psychological Well-being Scale, and Death Anxiety Scale. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, and machine learning based Shapley value analysis were applied.Results Psychological well-being was significantly associated with death anxiety and spirituality. Lower death anxiety (t=-4.253, p<0.001) and higher spirituality (t=4.728, p<0.001) were linked to better psychological well-being. Shapley value analysis identified spirituality as the strongest predictor.Conclusion Reducing death anxiety and enhancing spirituality may improve psychological well-being in geriatric home care patients. Integrating spirituality-based psychosocial interventions into geriatric care may strengthen emotional resilience and quality of life. Future longitudinal studies are recommended to better understand the causal relationships between death anxiety, spirituality, and psychological well-being in geriatric home care populations.

  • Depremi yaşayan kişilerin depreme yönelik tutumları ve psikolojik sağlamlıkları arasındaki ilişki

    by Ebru Gül, Mehmet Uçar

    Amaç: Türkiye, coğrafi konumu sebebiyle sıklıkla depremlerden etkilenmektedir. Depremlerin beklenmedik olarak gerçekleşmesi ve artçılarının devam etmesi depremi deneyimleyenlerin normal yaşam süreçlerine geçişlerini güçleştirmektedir. Depremlerin hayatta kalanlarda psikolojik etkileri daha önceki çalışmalarda incelenmiştir. Bu çalışma ise Türkiye’de 6 Şubat 2023 tarihinde gerçekleşen iki büyük depremi yaşayan kişilerin depreme yönelik tutumları ile psikolojik sağlamlıkları arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemek amacıyla yapılmıştır. Yöntem: Kesitsel türde yapılan bu çalışma 474 yetişkin ile yürütülmüştür. Çalışmanın verileri toplanırken "Tanıtıcı Anket Formu", "Depreme Yönelik Tutum Ölçeği" ve "Kısa Psikolojik Sağlamlık Ölçeği" kullanılmıştır. Araştırmaya başlamadan önce bir üniversitenin Bilimsel Araştırma ve Yayın Etiği Kurulu’ndan onay alınmıştır. Verilerin değerlendirilmesinde sayı, yüzde, ortalama, standart sapma, Cronbach alfa güvenirlik katsayısı, bağımsız gruplarda t testi, Mann-Whitney U testi, Oneway Anova, Kruskal-Wallis ve Spearman korelasyon analizi yanı sıra linear regresyon yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Bulgular: Çalışmada hem depreme yönelik tutum hem de psikolojik sağlamlık puanı ile yaş arasında pozitif yönlü, zayıf düzeyde ve istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir ilişki tespit edilmiştir. Bireylerin cinsiyet, göçük altında kalma durumları, depremde yakınını kaybetme durumu ve depremden sonra psikiyatrik desteğe ihtiyaç duyma durumları ile depreme yönelik tutum puan ortalaması arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı farklılık saptanmıştır (p


  • Algorithmic community health literacy: extending health literacy into the age of artificial intelligence

    by Mehmet Uçar, Muhammet Faruk Yiğit

    Health literacy must evolve to meet the challenges of the artificial intelligence (AI) era. Traditional models that focus on understanding written or online information no longer capture the complexities of algorithm-mediated health communication. This paper introduces the concept of Algorithmic Community Health Literacy (ACHL)—defined as the collective capacity of populations to interpret, evaluate, and act upon AI-generated health information. ACHL extends beyond eHealth literacy by emphasizing probabilistic reasoning, ethical awareness, and community-level engagement with algorithmic systems such as chatbots, predictive analytics, and digital surveillance tools. Integrating ACHL into schools, community programs, and primary care settings can empower citizens to navigate algorithmic environments critically and equitably, reducing digital exclusion and enhancing public resilience. By bridging health literacy and algorithmic literacy, ACHL provides a framework for reimagining public health in the age of machine intelligence.


  • Investigation of the Associations Among Spirituality, Psychological Well-Being, and Caregiver Burden Among Family Caregivers of Hemodialysis Patients

    by Muhammet Faruk Yi̇ğİt, Mehmet Uçar, Taner Abi̇s

    Giriş/Amaç: Hemodiyaliz hastalarına evde bakım veren aile bireyleri bakım sürecinde önemli fiziksel ve psikososyal güçlüklerle karşılaşmaktadır. Bu araştırmada, aile bakım verenlerinde maneviyat, psikolojik iyi oluş ve bakım yükü arasındaki ilişkilerin incelenmesi ve bakım yükü ile ilişkili faktörlerin incelenmesi amaçlandı. Gereç ve Yöntem: Kesitsel ve analitik tipteki araştırma, bir üniversite hastanesinde hemodiyaliz tedavisi gören hastalara evde bakım veren 223 aile bireyi ile gerçekleştirildi. Veriler Kişisel Bilgi Formu, Manevi Yönelim Ölçeği, Psikolojik İyi Oluş Ölçeği ve Hemodiyaliz Tedavisi Alan Hastada Birincil Bakım Veren Yükü Ölçeği kullanılarak toplandı. Veriler tanımlayıcı istatistikler, korelasyon analizi ve hiyerarşik çoklu doğrusal regresyon analizi ile değerlendirildi. Bulgular: Bakım yükü ile manevi yönelim (r=0.406, p< 0.001) ve psikolojik iyi oluş (r=0.407, p< 0.001) arasında pozitif yönde anlamlı ilişki bulundu. Regresyon analizinde manevi yönelim, sosyodemografik özellikler kontrol edildikten sonra bakım yükü ile anlamlı düzeyde ilişkili kalırken (β = 0.150, p < 0.001), psikolojik iyi oluş bakım yükü ile bağımsız olarak ilişkili değildi (p > 0.05). Yaş, çalışma durumu, bakım verilen kişiyle yakınlık derecesi ve bakım verme süresi bakım yükü ile anlamlı ilişkili bulundu. Sonuç: Manevi yönelim, hemodiyaliz hastalarına bakım veren aile bireylerinde bakım yükü ile bağımsız olarak ilişkili bulundu. Bakım verenlerin değerlendirilmesinde manevi, psikososyal ve sosyodemografik özelliklerin birlikte ele alınması, risk altındaki bireylerin belirlenmesine ve destekleyici girişimlerin planlanmasına katkı sağlayabilir.

  • Open Access

    Mediating Role of Relative Deprivation in the Effect of Internet Addiction on Cryptocurrency Trading in University Students

    by Mehmet Uçar, Necmettin Çiftci, Metin Yıldız

    Objective: This research was conducted to determine the mediating role of relative deprivation in the effect of internet addiction on cryptocurrency trading in university students. Method: A descriptive and cross-sectional research design was employed with 418 university students from eastern Turkey. Data were collected using the "Personal Information Form," "Young Internet Addiction Test–Short Form," "Problematic Cryptocurrency Trading Scale," and the "Relative Deprivation Scale." Results: Of the participants, 59.8% reported that their income matched their expenditures, 56.9% identified as male, and the mean age was 22.86 years. Internet addiction demonstrated a significant positive effect on relative deprivation (coefficient = 0.2139). Additionally, internet addiction had a direct positive effect on cryptocurrency trading (coefficient = 0.1385). Relative deprivation also showed a significant direct positive effect on cryptocurrency trading (coefficient = 0.3292). Conclusion: Internet addiction directly influences cryptocurrency trading and also exerts an indirect effect through relative deprivation. These findings indicate that relative deprivation partially mediates the relationship between internet addiction and cryptocurrency trading.