• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.155-160
• /
• 2014

Purpose: This study aimed to analyse female academician health beliefs for breast cancer screening and levels of self-esteem. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2010 and March 2011, covering female academicians working in all faculties and vocational schools at Ondokuz Mayis University, except for the ones in the field of health (n=141). Data was collected using a questionnaire developed by researchers in the light of the related literature, the Champion's Health Belief Model Scale for Breast Cancer, and the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory. Descriptive statistics, the t-test, Mann-Whitney U and correlation analysis were used to analyze the data with the SPSS 13.0 statistical package. Results: 53.8% of the participants were single, 58.6% did not have children, 80.7% had regular menstrual cycles, 28.3% was taking birth control pills, 17.9% were undergoing hormone therapy, 11% suffered breast problems, 8.3% had relatives with breast cancer, 78,6% knew about breast self-examination (BSE), 68.3% was performing BSE, 16.2% were performing BSE monthly, 17.9% had had mammograms, and 30.3% had undergone breast examinations conductedby physicians. The women who had breast physical examinations done by physicians had higher susceptibility, self-efficacy and health motivation, and fewer barriers to mammography than those who did not have breast physical examinations. Conclusions: There was a relationship between the female academician self-esteem and their perceived seriousness of breast cancer, perceived barriers to BSE and health motivation. Our Turksih female academicians had medium levels of self-esteem.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.5
• /
• pp.3281-3288
• /
• 2013

Background: Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women. Despite being associated with high morbidity and mortality, breast cancer is a disease that can be diagnosed and treated early. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study of 321 women, data were collected by Questionnaire, Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Form and Champion's Health Belief Model Scale. Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, Chisquared tests and logistic regression were used in the statistical analysis. Results: It was found that only 2.2% of women have high and very high risk levels of breast cancer risk. There is a positive correlation between early diagnosis techniques and Health Belief Model Sub-Dimension scores which are sensibility, health motivation, BSE (Breast self-examination) self-efficient perception and negative correlation between mammography barrier score and BSE barrier score (p 0.05). When factors for not having BSE were examined, it was determined that the women who do not have information about breast cancer and the women who smoke have a higher risk of not having BSE. Conclusions: It is important to determine health beliefs and breast cancer risk levels of women to increase the frequency of early diagnosis. Women's health beliefs are thought to be a good guide for planning health education programs for nurses working in this area.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.12
• /
• pp.7161-7164
• /
• 2013

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women globally. This study was conducted to compare the awareness of breast cancer and the practice of breast self-examination (BSE), clinical breast examination (CBE) and mammography screening among rural females in Pahang and Perak. A cross-sectional study was carried out in five selected rural districts of Pahang and Perak. Two hundred and fifty households were randomly selected and interviewed face to face using a semi-structured questionnaire. The majority of residents from both states were Malay, aged between 50 and 60 years and had a secondary level of education. Malay women aged 40-49 years and women with a higher level of education were significantly more aware of breast cancer (p<0.05). About half of these women practiced BSE (60.7%) and CBE (56.1%), and 7% had underwent mammography screening. The results of this study suggest that women in Pahang and Perak have good awareness of breast cancer and that more than half practice BSE and CBE. The women's level of education appears to contribute to their level of knowledge and health behaviour. However, more effort is needed to encourage all women in rural areas to acquire further knowledge on breast cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.11
• /
• pp.6857-6862
• /
• 2013

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. All ages are susceptible and more than 90% of the patients can be cured with early diagnosis. Breast self-examination (BSE) and mammography can be useful for this aim. In this study we examined the components of the Champion health belief model to identify if they could predict the intentions of women to perform such screening. Materials and Methods: A total of 380 women aged 30 and above who had referred to health-care centers were assessed for use of breast cancer screening over the past year with a modified health belief model questionnaire. Logistic regression was applied to identify leading independent predictors. Results: In this study 27% of the women performed BSE in the last year but only 6.8% of them used mammography as a way of screening. There were significant differences regarding all components of the model except for perceived severity between women that underwent BSE. over the past year and those that did not. Findings were similar for mammography. Regression analysis revealed that intentions to perform BSE were predicted by perceived self-efficacy and perceived barriers to BSE while intentions to perform mammography were predicted by perceived barriers. Conclusions: This study indicated that self-efficacy can support performance of BSE while perceived barriers are important for not performing both BSE and mammography. Thus we must educate women to increase their self-efficacy and decrease their perceived barriers.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.15
• /
• pp.6697-6704
• /
• 2015

Background: The burden of breast and cervical cancer is changing over time in developing countries. Regular screening is very important for early detection and treatment. In this study, we assessed inequalities in breast and cervical cancer screening rates in women according to household wealth status, and analyzed the potential predictors associated with a low cancer screening rate in Jordan. Materials and Methods: A nationwide populationbased cross-sectional survey collected information on different variables at the national level. All ever-married women (the phrase is used throughout the text to refer to women who had ever married) aged 15-49 years were included in the survey. Analysis of breast self-examination (BSE) and clinical breast examination (CBE) at least once in the previous year was carried out in 11,068 women, while lifetime Pap-smear testing was carried out in 8,333 women, aged 20-49 years. Results: Over 39% and 19% of ever-married Jordanian women reported having undergone a breast examination during the previous year and Pap smear examination at least once in their lifetime, respectively. The rate of BSE in the previous year was 31.5%, that of CBE in the previous year was 19.3%, and that of Pap smear examination at least once in life was 25.5%. The adjusted OR was higher for performing BSE (aOR 1.22, 95% CI 1.04-1.43), undergoing CBE (aOR 1.31, 95% CI 1.08-1.60) and undergoing Pap smear examination (aOR 2.38, 95% CI 1.92-2.93) among women in the highest wealth-index quintile as compared to those in the lowest quintile. The concentration index was 0.11 for BSE, 0.01 for CBE, and 0.27 for Pap smear examination. Women in their twenties, living in rural or the southern region of Jordan, with an elementary school education or less, who listened to the radio or read the newspaper not more than a few times a year, and nulliparous women were less likely to undergo breast and cervical cancer screening. Conclusions: The rates of breast and cervical cancer screening are low in Jordan. Reducing the sociodemographic and economic inequalities in breast and cervical cancer screenings requires concerted outreach activities for women living under socially deprived conditions.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.496-506
• /
• 2003

The purpose of this study is to analyze the affecting factors on breast self-examination of middle-aged women in Korea. The subjects were 141 women on Jeju Island, and materials were collected through an organized questionnaire from March to August 2002. The data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, $x^2$-test. A-nova and Discriminant analysis by the SAS program. The major results are as follows: 1. 53% of the subjects performed the breast self-examination. The practice of breast self-examination was correlated with the education level, income, low salt diet, more than 30 minutes of regular exercise. 2. Attitudes towards breast self-examination were not a significant practice regarding breast self-examination. However, the cognition about difficulty of breast self-examination partly showed an important barrier factor to the positive attitude. 3. The average self-efficacy concerning breast self-examination was 3.03. The stages of change related to the subjects showed that a contemplation stage was high. 4. With a stepwise multiple regression, the most significant factor on self-efficacy related with breast self-examination was the contemplation stage, 30-40 aged women. high income, regular exercise, low salt diet, family cancer history, etc. 5. With the discriminant analysis, the most important factors related with the practice of the breast self-examination were income and self-efficacy. The power of discriminant was 59%. The results of this study suggests that programs should be developed to promote practice and the self-efficacy related with breast self-examination.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.1275-1280
• /
• 2014

Purpose: To define factors that affect the performance status of BSE and confidence of student nurses. Materials and Methods: This descriptive study was conducted in the academic year 2010-2011 in a nursing faculty in $\dot{I}$zmir, Turkey. "Informative data form" and "Champion's Revised Health Belief Model Scale (CHBMS)" were used as data collection forms. Results: The mean age of the participant nurses was $21.0{\pm}1.49$. The mean CHMS scores of the student nurses were as follows: perceived susceptibility regarding breast cancer, $7.78{\pm}2.46$; perceived seriousness regarding breast cancer, $22.4{\pm}5.43$; perceived benefit regarding BSE application, $20.5{\pm}4.45$; perceived barriers regarding BSE application, $23.8{\pm}7.13$; perceived confidence regarding BSE application, $36.3{\pm}7.78$; the mean score of health motivation sub-scale, $25.7{\pm}4.59$; and mean of the total score of the scale, $36.5{\pm}15.01$. Conclusions: The outcomes obtained in this study indicated the importance of better education to student nurses, who have a key role in teaching preventive health behaviour including BSE to society and other university students as colleagues.

• Women's Health Nursing
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.126-136
• /
• 2010

Purpose: This study was done to evaluate factors affecting active early detection behaviors of breast cancer and performance rate of breast self examination (BSE), physical examination and mammography. Methods: The participants were 264 women from an outpatient breast clinic of a university hospital and materials were collected from March 2007 to February 2008 using a structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using $x^2$ test, logistic analysis. Results: The rate for BSE was 58.3%, for physical examination, 55.3% and for mammography experience, 63.4%. Women with all of these active early detection behaviors accounted for 31.8% of the participants. Various factors such as age, income, marital status, and menopause showed increased significant performance rate. The explanation power of logistic model was 48.5%, and was significant for age, income and health belief. Factors related to high performance rate were being over 40 years of age, high income and high health belief score. Conclusion: Active early detection behaviors were not high in spite of marked increases in breast cancer incidence. Encouragement for women practicing early detection behavior is important, but there is also a need to develop interest and support for the low performance group. More sustained education and public relations are needed to further improve active early detection behavior.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.17
• /
• pp.7707-7711
• /
• 2015

A cross-sectional survey of 370 female teachers working at Governmental schools in Gaza city was conducted. Twenty four schools were selected randomly of all female schools of the city that included primary, preparatory and secondary. In each school all-female teachers aged 35-45 year were invited to fill out a self-administered questionnaire to investigate knowledge and behavior toward breast cancer screening. The survey revealed that more than 75% of women had never undergone clinical breast examination and 60% had never undergone mammography, whereas 62% performed breast self-examination (BSE). Women who performed BSE had significantly higher knowledge about breast cancer screening (P=0.001). Women attending CBE and mammography screening also had significantly higher knowledge (P=0.001). There were significant associations between the practices and presence of positive breast cancer family history (P=0.002) and the level of education of husbands (P=0.024). The oldest women demonstrated higher performance rates of screening methods than the youngest (P=0.001). Lack of breast screening knowledge was identified among more than one third of the women, and 24.6% of women did not know any screening method. About a half of women harboured misconceptions about breast cancer screening, including the belief that breast cancer not treatable. Women residing in Gaza city (P=0.00) and with husbands less educated were more likely to have a high level of misconceptions (P=0.01).

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.15
• /
• pp.6669-6672
• /
• 2015

Background: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among females worldwide. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and practice about breast cancer and its related factors among women in Baghdad city, Iraq. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 508 women aged 18 to 55 years from four non-governmental organizations (NGO) in Baghdad city, Iraq. A self-administered questionnaire on breast cancer knowledge and practice was distributed to participants during weekly activity of the NGO. Results: A total of 61.2% of the respondents had poor knowledge, only 30.3% performed breast self-examination (BSE) and 41.8% said that they did not know the technique to perform BSE. Associations between knowledge and marital status and age were significant. For practice, working status, education, age and family income were significant. After controlling for cofounders, the most important contributing factors for poor knowledge among respondents were marital status and not performing BSE, with adjusted odds ratio of 1.6 and 1.8 respectively. Conclusions: Breast cancer knowledge and practice of BSE are poor among women in Baghdad city, Iraq. More promotion regarding breast cancer signs and symptoms and also how to perform BSE should be conducted using media such as television and internet as these constituted the main sources of information for most women in our study.