title: Risk of breast cancer, health beliefs and screening behaviour among Turkish academic women and housewives.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common forms of epithelial neoplasms type of cancer affecting women worldwide. The main objective of this study was to examine health beliefs, screening behavior and risk for developing BC in academic women and housewives in Turkey.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional, descriptive study, a sample of 415 women were surveyed, composed of 166 academics and 249 housewives between the ages of 20-65 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Risk of developing breast cancer, both five-year and lifetime, was higher in academic women than in housewives (P < 0.001). The frequency of BSE, CBE and mammography was higher in academic women than housewives. For academic women, perceptions related to benefit, self-efficacy, health motivation were significantly higher than housewives (t= 3.726, P < 0.001; t=8.165, P < 0.001, t=2.326; P < 0.021, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of this study indicate that the risk for developing BC in academic women is higher than for housewives. Although academic women had more screening performance for early diagnosis of BC, it was still lower than 50%, below the desired level. Education programs should be aimed at increasing women's BC screening behaviors and the positively affect beliefs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Turkey. sonmezmm01@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Meryem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Gungor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guler
authors.forename: Mine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bekar
authors.forename: Nuran
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Guler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D016504:Breast Self-Examination / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003469:Culture; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D012067:Religion; D014421:Turkey; D014505:Urban Population; D014930:Women / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D014931:Women, Working; D055815:Young Adult