title: Effectiveness of online education in teaching breast self- examination.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This research evaluated the effectiveness of an online education model in teaching breast self- examination to university staff and students.
  
  
  METHODS
  1,679 women participated in a breast self-examination online training program. Breast self-examination knowledge evaluation forms developed by Maurer (1997) were used in the research and were evaluated on a 100 point scale. Paired t-test and McNemar's Test statistics were employed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The participants scored an average of 46.5 (14.0%) on knowledge on breast self-examination before training, but 77.4 (11.0%) one month after education and 76.7 (9.52%) after six months. There was a clear significant difference between these knowledge levels (p<0.05). Similarly, while the rate for systematic practice of breast self-examination among women was 30.8% before training it increased to 47.8% afterwards. Again the difference was significant (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Online education is an effective method for teaching breast self-examination to women.
authors.affiliation: School of Health, Onsekiz Mart University, Canakkale, Turkey E-mail : sebnemcinar@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Arzu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tuna
authors.forename: Elif Unsal
authors.initials: EU
authors.lastname: Avdal
authors.forename: Sebnem Cinar
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Yucel
authors.forename: Nursel Alp
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Dal
authors.forename: Aklime
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dicle
authors.forename: Arife
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ozkan
authors.forename: Handan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sezgin
authors.forename: Aysun Babacan
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Gumus
authors.forename: Ayse San
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Turgay
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Degirmenci
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016504:Breast Self-Examination / Q000379:methods*; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D009862:Online Systems; D013334:Students; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult