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 study consisted 266 women. The study data were collected by a questionnaire in six months periods as two times in a month in which the periods were defined and announced to all women. After that all the women were informed about BSE. The statue of performing BSE of women (n=146) was evaluated. They were interviewed on phone after 6 months. The collected data were analyzed by using statistical SPSS program. The average age of women was 35.68±7.54. It is also determined that (61.3%) had no knowledge about BSE, (87.6%) had examined clinical breast examination (CBE) in a year and half of them (50.8%) never practiced BSE, (29.0%) had BSE regularly every month. Concerning the status of BSE practice before the education and after the education significant difference is found statistically (p<0.00). The significance of this study is that it is to give education about breast cancer and BSE for raising awareness among women.