The Effects of the Breast Self-Examination Participant Education program on Breast Self-Examination Compliance and Health Promoting Behaviors in Adult Women

Abstract

This study is carrying out a before and after experiment design for the non-equal comparative group to identify the effects of the breast self-examination education on breast self- examination participant education compliance and health promotion in women. The subject of this study was 58 women residing in Chungju. Their age ranged from 20 to 40. These women were not pregnant or did not breast feed, as well as they did not have any breast disease, at the time of survey. They were available for the response to the questionnaires, and understood the purpose of this study. They also agreed to participate in the study, and responded to the 3rd time questionnaires to the end. Thus, brochures and lectures were provided side by side to a group of 19 of those women, and only brochures were provided to another group of 39 of those women. With regard to education, a brochure and a program using a breast model were applied. Then, the frequency of the breast self examination compliance, breast self examination capability and the relations between the breast self examination and activities to promote health were measured, before the education, after 4 weeks of education and after 12 weeks of education. Before education and after 4 weeks of education, I collected the questionnaires myself visiting them, and after 12 weeks of education, the questionnaires were collected by mail. In relation to the study tool, the breast self examination activity was measured by two measuring tools: breast self examination activity frequency and breast self examination compliance capability. As for the frequency, the number of self examination for the period of 3 months, before the questionnaire survey, was measured in the form of self report. In relation to the tool to measure the breast self examination capability, the BSEPRI tool, which was developed by Wood in 1994, was used. Here, as the score was higher, the capability was indicated to be higher. The translated and revised version of Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile Ⅱ (Walker, Sechrist & Pender, 2002) was used as a tool for health promotion. As the measured score was higher, the health promoting activity was indicated to be higher. The results of this study were as follows; 1. As a result of checking the breast self examination compliance frequency between the experiment group that received the breast self examination participant education and the comparative group that did not receive the education, there was a significant difference in interaction between groups by time, as time passed by. 2. As a result of checking the breast self examination compliance capability between the experiment group and the comparative group, there was a significant difference in interaction between groups by time, as time passed by. 3. As a result of carrying out a repetitive measurement analysis, between the experiment group that received the breast self examination education and the comparative group that did not receive the education, which was carried out to validate the hypothesis that the former would have higher health promoting activities than the latter, there was no significant difference after the breast self examination education was conducted.