Investigating the level of knowledge and performance of postmenopausal women about breast self-examination in Khorramabad in 2019

Abstract

Background: Due to usually late diagnoses, breast cancer is accompanied by a high mortality rate. Breast self-examination increases the success of treatment and survival rates. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and practice of postmenopausal women residing in Khorramabad, Iran, about breast self-examination. Materials and Methods: The present descriptive-analytical study was performed on 333 postmenopausal women referring to health centers in Khorramabad in 2019. The participants were selected using cluster sampling. The required data were collected using a questionnaire containing items on demographic characteristics as well as variables of knowledge and practice of breast self-examination. Data analysis was performed in SPSS software version 22 using the Spearman correlation coefficient, the Chi-square test, and Fisher's exact test. Results: The mean age of the subjects was 55.13±8.13. It was found that 55% of women had moderate knowledge and 43.8% had a moderate performance. The most common source of information was through health center staff (52.9%). Knowledge and performance showed a direct and significant correlation with breast self-examination (r=0.530, P<0.001). There was a statistically significant relationship between knowledge and performance on the one hand, and visiting a doctor and having a history of attending classes on the other (P<0.05). There was also a statistically significant relationship between performance and marital status (P<0.05). Conclusion: Due to the significant relationship between knowledge and performance variables and behaviors such as attending classes and visiting doctors, it is recommended to design educational programs to encourage postmenopausal women to perform breast self-examination.