Breast Self-examination Practices and the Effect of a Planned Training Program in Western Turkey

This cross-sectional and descriptive study was aimed to evaluate women breast self-examination (BSE)practice and effects of a planned educational programme for breast cancer and BSE. The samples of the studyconsisted 266 women. The study data were collected by a questionnaire in six months periods as two times in amonth in which the periods were defined and announced to all women. After that all the women were informedabout BSE. The statue of performing BSE of women (n=146) was evaluated. They were interviewed on phoneafter 6 months. The collected data were analyzed by using statistical SPSS program. The average age of womenwas 35.68±7.54. It is also determined that (61.3%) had no knowledge about BSE, (87.6%) had examined clinicalbreast examination (CBE) in a year and half of them (50.8%) never practiced BSE, (29.0%) had BSE regularlyevery month. Concerning the status of BSE practice before the education and after the education significantdifference is found statistically (p<0.00). The significance of this study is that it is to give education about breastcancer and BSE for raising awareness among women.