title: Knowledge, attitude and practice of breast self-examination in a female population of metropolitan São Paulo.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, Av. Príncipe de Gales 821, Santo André 09060-650, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ivo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Carelli
authors.forename: Luciano Melo
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Pompei
authors.forename: Clarissa Santiago
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Mattos
authors.forename: Heloisa Garcia
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pescuma
authors.forename: César Eduardo
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Sérgio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Peixoto
mesh_terms: 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