Survey of knowledge, attitude and performance toward breast self-examination in students of Shahid Chamran University

Introduction & Aim: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women with an increasing incidence. Considering the importance of early diagnosis in breast cancer control and treatment, and due to the simplicity and low cost of breast self-examination as one screening method, this study was conducting to determine the knowledge, attitude and performance of Chamran University of Ahvaz students toward BSE in 2015.Methods: This is a descriptive study conducted on 400 female students aged more than 20 years old selecting by random cluster sampling. The data collection tool was a researcher-made 4-part questionnaire containing demographic information form andawareness, performance and attitude scales. Data analysis was performed using descriptive and correlation tests.Results: The mean age of samples was 22.75 and the majority of them (84.5%) were single. The majority of students (71%) had negative attitude and 312 persons (78%) had low knowledge. In addition, 78.5% of subjects who performed BSE had poor performance. Only 40 participants (10%) had seen formal training about BSE. There was a significant negative correlation between the performance and knowledge of people with positive history of breast disease in first-degree relatives (r = -0.586, p-value = 0.001).Conclusion: The results showed that knowledge, performance and attitude of students toward BSE were weak. It is recommending that educational workshops (especially in health and educational centers) about breast cancer and its screening methods conducted for target groups. It maybe improves knowledge, performance and attitude of individuals towards BSE, as well as early diagnosis and reducing costs of treatment.

کلیدواژه ها:

breast cancer ، BSE ، screening ، knowledge ، performance ، attitude