Do Turkish nursing and midwifery students teach breast self-examination to their relatives?

To describe health beliefs and breast self-examination (BSE) practice of Turkish female nursing and midwifery students and extent of teaching the screening method to their mothers, sisters and relatives.

In this definition survey, data were obtained from 113 nursing and midwifery students (n = 113) in third and fourth class and their mothers, sisters and other relatives in Turkey.

Data were collected using a personal data form, a knowledge evaluation form for BSE (Maurer 1997) and the Champion's Health Belief Model Scale. Number percentage, Chi-square test were used in the evaluation of the data.

Students learned breast cancer and BSE in their lessons one or two years previously. Knowledge level scores of the students were 52.3 ± 9.6 (min:25,max: 75). Rate of having regular BSE was 32.7%. When health belief scale assessed; the average of susceptibility was 7.52 ± 2.62, seriousness was 21.8 ± 5.30, benefit was 16.7±4.45, barrier was 22.3 ± 6.44, confidence was 40.3 ± 6.67 and medical motivation was 26.6 ± 4.22. The rate of having regular BSE and benefit, barrier scores were compared, they were statistically significant difference(p < 0.05). The majority (106, 91.3%) gave BSE training to their mother and sisters, and 42.6% (48) to relatives, 6.2% (7) to friends, and 5.4% (6) to patients.

Knowledge about breast cancer and BSE repetition training programs should be planned for nursing/midwifery students, to increasae their sensitivity, beliefs and attitudes, and medical motivation for BSE.