Abstract

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and screening of this cancer is one of the best method for early diagnosis. Due to this study was not performed in Qom, this research is necessary. The aim was to determine the knowledge, attitude and behavior of women in Qom toward breast cancer screening methods 2009. This study was a descriptive-analytic. The samples consisted of 404 women, they were selected using convenient sampling method and exclusion criteria were history of breast. The assessment of knowledge, attitude and behavior of women in Qom toward breast cancer screening methods 2009 cancer in women and their family. Data were gathered by a questionnaire and were analyzed by SPSS software. The mean of age in this women was 30.25 years and the most of them were hoomy, married and diploma education. Their knowledge regarding the screening methods were moderate (61/9%). The attitudes regarding the implementation of screening methods were favorable (99/5%), BSE was not performed in 248 cases of upper than 20 years (64/9%), 311 cases (83/5%) had never referred for a CBE and 33 cases of upper than 40 years, 78/5% of them had no history of mammography. The results indicate a moderate level of knowledge about screening methods and a positive attitude towards them. However, most of the women do not practice screening methods that indicate attention to screening method is necessary.

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INTRODUCTION

Breast cancer forms about one third of all cancers in women so that of any 7 American Women, one person suffers from this cancer. It is the 2nd cause of womens death due to cancer (The first cause is lung cancer) (Berek et al., 2007). Early diagnosis is one of confrontiny ways against this disease and decreasing its mortality and morbidity.

With early diagnosis and treatment in primary stages, chance of improving is increased and longevity vaises in up to 90% of patients (Harris and Leininger, 1995). One of the best ways for early diagnosis is screaning ways such as Self Breast Exam (SBE) Clinical Breast Exam by physician or health staffs (CBE) and mamography (Christensen and Kockro, 2003; Phipps et al., 2003; Dean, 2003).

If all women exam their breasts monthly and examination by physician and also mamography done ontime, it is possible to prevent developing of 95% of disease cases (Coe et al., 1994). Because of positive effect of improving the knowledge and attitude of women on screaning behaviours (Haji-Mahmoodi et al., 2002) and because of lack of any study in this regard in Qom city, It was dicided to contact a study with the aim of assessment of knowledge, attitude and performance of women of Qom city about breast cancer screaning in 2009.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This is a descriptive-analytic study. The study population was the women in reproductive and the study sample was 404 women reffering to health centers. The researchers excluded the women with history of breast cancer in their sewes or their family. A self-making questionnnair that was used its validity and reliability were assessed through content validity and simultaneous reliability, respectively.

This questionnaire consisted of four section: demographic information in 1st part, 32 questions about knowledge of breast cancer and its risk factors and symptoms and screening ways and mamography in 2nd part, 14 questions about attitude to breast cancer in 3rd part that posed with likert scale and Finally, questions about performances as frequency of self-examination of breast cancer, clinical examination and mamography. At last the data were analyzed with SPSS software (version 15).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

We enrolled 404 women reffering to health centers with mean age of 30.25±7.47 (range of 18-62 jearsold). The most samples were married (60%) and housekeeper (57.9%) and with highschool education (43.6%). Table 1 shows the women knowledge about screening ways. In according to this, the most samples have moderate knowledge about it.

Table 2 shows their knowledge by separation of questions. It was found that the women have high knowledge in regard to time and frequency of screening. The most knowledge was about the possibility of better treatment of breast cancer if it discover in early stage (question No.4) (94.3%) and the least knowledge was about role of oral contraceptive pills as breast cancer risk factor (question No.11) (23.3%).

Table 3 shows the womens attitude about screening of breast cancer. In according to this, the most samples have positive attitude. The study criterion for screening ways was American cancer association advices. So that examination should be done 20 years old regularly and monthly and also clinical examination should be done every 3 years from 20 years old and annually from 40 years old. Mamography also should be done annually from 40 years old.

Thus, the researchers obtained the following results about the womens performances about screening ways of breast cancer. About breast self-examination, 382 women (94.6%) were up to 20 years old but none of them had done self-examination monthly and regulary. About 248 women (64.9%) hadn’t done this examination yet.

Table 1:	Knowledge of women of Qom city about breast cancer screening in 2009

About clinical examination, 340 women (84.2%) were in range of 20-40 years old. But 284 women (83.5%) hadn’t been examed by physician, yet 13 women (3.8%) were being examed every 3 years regulary and 43 women (12.6%) were being examed irregularly by physician about 42 women (10.4) were up to 40 years old but none of them were being examed annually and regulary by physician and 27 women (64.2%) hadn’t been examed yet and 15 women (35.7%) were being examed irregulary.

About mamography 42 women (10.4%) were up to 40 years old but none of them had done it annually, 8 women (9.04%) had done it one only and 1 women (2.3%) had done it 2 times only.

In this the women had moderate knowledge and high attitude to screening ways of breast cancer but most of them used none of the these methods. These results were similar to results of Khaleghnezhad and Khaleghnezhad (2008) research.

Considering that breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and has high mortality and morbidity so the women must have high knowledge about it and the appropriate thoughts should be done to increase their knowledge. The least knowledge was about taking and its role in breast cancer. Whereas, these pills are one of the most important methods for family planning so it is necessary to justify the to not obtain negative attitude rather than this method.

In this study, the women had high attitude to screening methods. This problem shows that women are informed of its importancy and have high prepared to learning. In this study, clinical examination was done by a few women so the health staffs should be to propose the all women to do this screening method and to discover its importancy. Mamography also was done by a few women and irregullary. This result is similar to result of (Banaian et al., 2005) perhaps its cause was knowinglessness the women of this way as a screening way or its high expenditure.

Table 2:	Knowledge of women of Qom city about breast cancer screening per question

 

Table 3:	Attitude of women of Qom city about breast cancer screening in 2009

 

Where as mamography is a suitable method for diagnosis of breast masses before touching them so responsible should pay attention to this problem and needed performances should be done for decreasing its screening expenditure and the women should be learnt and be demired to do this.

CONCLUSION

Considering that in this study, the most women had been learnt and their knowledge was in middle level and the most of them about time and frequency of screening methods but they didn’t used these methods so this problem shows the learning default and the learning should be justified to do these methods. Finally, it is advised to do researches about the effect of type on women performances in this regard for determining the best training type for changing the women behavior.

How to cite this article:

Z. Karimian, N. Mehran and Z. Haddad. The Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Behavior of Women in Qom Toward Breast Cancer Screening Methods 2009.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36478/rjmsci.2010.116.118
URL: https://www.makhillpublications.co/view-article/1815-9346/rjmsci.2010.116.118