Knowledge, attitude and practice of breast self-examination in a female population of metropolitan São Paulo.
OBJECTIVE
Evaluation of the knowledge, attitude and practice of breast self-examination in different groups of women in São Paulo.


METHODS
Application of a questionnaire to 392 women divided in four groups. Group one: 101 patients of the National Health Service, Group two: 95 female physicians; Group three: 95 female medical students; and Group four: 101 wives of gynecologists.


RESULTS
Self-examination was performed by 90.3% of women, Group 1 having the lowest rate, 69.3%. However, proper self-examination (performed monthly or once per cycle, after menstrual period, with at least one stage in standing or sitting up position) was performed by only 30.4%, the poorest performance being found in Group 1 (15.7%) and the best one in Group 2 (43.6%). For women in Group 1, "mass media" was the most important source of information on breast self-examination, whereas for the other groups, it was "medical sources".


CONCLUSIONS
The majority of women are knowledgeable about breast self-examination but perform it improperly, this finding being more common among women who depend on the National Health Service, who represent a section of the general population. As breast self-examination remains an important tool in countries with limited resources, this study confirms the importance of disseminating proper information, and that more investment should be made in awareness campaigns.
Carelli
Ivo
I
Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, Av. Príncipe de Gales 821, Santo André 09060-650, SP, Brazil.
Pompei
Luciano Melo
LM
Mattos
Clarissa Santiago
CS
Ferreira
Heloisa Garcia
HG
Pescuma
Rodrigo
R
Fernandes
César Eduardo
CE
Peixoto
Sérgio
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil; D016504:Breast Self-Examination / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data