Control of breast cancer using health education.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the efficacy of mass screening in the control of primary breast cancer among a selected group of women from Mpigi district, Uganda.


METHODS
Qualitative study by comparing the level of knowledge of risk factors, attitude and practice to breast cancer and the ability to carry out self breast examination before and after intervention study.


METHODS
Nineteen static units in three counties of Mpigi district, Uganda.


METHODS
Three thousand and three women aged 15 years and above resident in the study area. INTERVENTION METHODS: Health education and self breast examination.


METHODS
Level of knowledge of risk factors, attitude and practice to breast cancer when one falls sick and ability to carry out self breast examination.


RESULTS
Baseline study established that participants did not know the risk factors and could not associate any risk factor with breast cancer. Knowledge of the art of self breast examination was non-existent. After intervention, all the participants knew the risk factors and could therefore associate them with breast cancer. Health seeking behaviours greatly improved and more than 90% could describe self breast examination satisfactorily.


CONCLUSIONS
Mass screening using health education can be carried out at grass root level by the health workers through various clinics such as maternal and child health clinics. These results can be extrapolated to other cancers where causes are not known and cure is not there. Mass screening should be included in primary health care programmes.
Nzarubara
R G
RG
Department of Anatomy, Makerere University Medical School, Kampala, Uganda.
D001294:Attitude to Health; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016504:Breast Self-Examination / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000523:psychology; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014454:Uganda