title: The effect of breast cancer health education on the knowledge, attitudes, and practice: a community health center catchment area.
abstract: Studies indicate that women in China are not frequently carrying out breast cancer prevention practices. This is assumed to be due to lack of knowledge and/or lack of personalized instruction. This study was to explore the effect of breast cancer health education on women's knowledge and attitudes on breast cancer and breast self-examination, behavior related to breast self-examination among women living in the catchment area of a community health center. A pretest and posttest assessment of a 1-h health education session was conducted with 38 participants. A telephone reminder and questionnaires were administered at 1 and 3 months after the education. Three instruments were administered at each contact to assess the knowledge and attitudes on breast cancer and behavior related to breast self-examination and accuracy of breast self-examination before education, 1- and 3-month follow-ups after education. The findings showed the incidence of self-examination, and scores on the accuracy of breast self-examination practice were significantly increased immediately following the intervention and at 1- and 3-month follow-ups. Furthermore, the scores of the health belief regarding perceived benefits, perceived competency, and perceived seriousness significantly improved. The current findings imply community-based intervention could be used to teach women about the general knowledge of breast cancer and how to perform breast self-examination correctly, especially for women who are lack of such information.
authors: Wuhan University HOPE School of Nursing, Wuhan, 430071, China, ouyangyq@whu.edu.cn.
authors: Yan-Qiong
authors: YQ
authors: Ouyang
authors: Xiaoyan
authors: X
authors: Hu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D016504:Breast Self-Examination / Q000523:psychology*; D003151:Community Health Centers; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014930:Women / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult