[Social support and breast self-examination in the Pró-Saúde Study].
The authors investigated the association between the reported frequency of breast self-examination and five dimensions of social support (material, emotional, affective, information, and positive social interaction) among 2,240 female employees from a university in Rio de Janeiro who were participants in Phase 1 of a cohort study (Pró-Saúde Study). Data were collected through a multidimensional self-administered questionnaire. Among participants, 43% reported doing breast self-examination "every month", or "almost every month"; 24% informed they seldom or never practiced self-examination. Participants with the highest scores in the five dimensions of social support reported higher frequency of breast self-examination. In all dimensions, the odds of practicing self-examination were approximately twice as high among women in the upper tertile of social support scores and about 50% higher among those in the intermediate tertile, as compared to those in the lower tertile of the scores (linear trend test, p < 0.001). The results' consistency suggests that several dimensions of social support can contribute positively to the regular practice of health-related self-care.
Andrade
Célia Regina de
CR
Escola Nacional Saúde Pública, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. celiara@ensp.fiocruz.br
Chor
Dóra
D
Faerstein
Eduardo
E
Griep
Rosane Harter
RH
Lopes
Claudia S
CS
Fonseca
Maria de Jesus Mendes da
Mde J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D016504:Breast Self-Examination / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires