Improving breast self-examination training by using the 4MAT instructional model

Area of Science:

• Health Education
• Oncology
• Instructional Design

Background:

• Breast cancer awareness and early detection are crucial for improving patient outcomes.
• Effective teaching methods for breast self-examination (BSE) are essential for empowering women.
• Traditional health education formats may not cater to diverse learning styles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of the 4MAT instructional model versus the traditional American Cancer Society (ACS) presentation for teaching breast self-examination (BSE).
• To assess the impact of different teaching methods on knowledge, confidence, and frequency of BSE performance.
• To evaluate the immediate and long-term retention of learned information and skills.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study involving three groups: 4MAT presentation (N=49), ACS presentation (N=45), and an untrained control group (N=58).
• Participants were members of Cooperative Extension Home Demonstration Clubs, with a mean age of 57 years.
• A questionnaire assessed knowledge, confidence, and frequency of BSE before, immediately after, and 3 months post-training.

Main Results:

• The 4MAT presentation demonstrated superior immediate acquisition and 3-month retention of knowledge and confidence compared to the ACS presentation.
• Both the 4MAT and ACS training groups showed statistically significant improvements over the control group in all measured variables.
• The 4MAT model led to enhanced learning and retention of BSE information and skills.

Conclusions:

• The 4MAT instructional model is a more effective method for teaching breast self-examination (BSE) than traditional approaches.
• This model enhances both immediate learning and long-term retention of health education content.
• The 4MAT approach is recommended for BSE training and other health education initiatives.