Breast Self-examination Technique Research Articles

Affective, Psychomotoric, and Cognitive Changes in Young Women at Wachid Hasyim Tebuireng High School are BSE with Blended Learning by Health Education

Background: Breast cancer is a significant health concern among Indonesian women, emphasizing the need for effective prevention strategies. Purpose: This study investigates the effects of health education utilizing the Breast Self-Examination (BSE) method, augmented with blended learning, on the affective, psychomotor, and cognitive aspects of young women attending Wachid Hasyim Tebuireng High School. Method: Employing a Pre-Test Post-Test Control Group design, participants were divided into control and intervention groups. The intervention group received health education utilizing the BSE technique combined with blended learning, while the control group did not undergo this intervention. Results: Results indicated substantial improvements in the affective, psychomotor, and cognitive domains among young women who received health education with blended learning. Positive attitudes towards BSE increased significantly, with average scores rising from 75.1 to 85.3 post-intervention. Similarly, psychomotor skills improved, evidenced by scores escalating from 72.4 to 84.5 after receiving education. Moreover, cognitive understanding saw a remarkable enhancement, with average scores soaring from 67.3 to 87.6 following the intervention. Conclusion: The study concludes that integrating blended learning with health education significantly enhances young women's psychomotor, affective, and cognitive responses to BSE. These findings underscore the efficacy of blended learning in augmenting the impact of health education, particularly in empowering young women with essential knowledge and skills for breast cancer prevention and early detection.

A study on awareness of breast cancer and breast self-examination practices among women above 35 years of age in rural areas of Wardha District, Maharashtra: a protocol

Background Breast cancer is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in women and a global health issue. Breast self-examination (BSE) is a recommended breast cancer screening technique that a woman can use on her own, in the privacy of her home. Hence, awareness regarding it and knowledge to identify any changes will be a boon to the early identification and promotion of treatment. This study aimed to increase awareness and educate women about breast self-examination (BSE) to facilitate the early detection of breast cancer in rural areas of Wardha District. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted on rural women in Wardha district. Women older than 35 years of age will be included in the study and assessed using a ‘pre-designed’ and ‘pre-structured’ questionnaire inquiring about their socio-demographic profile, awareness of breast cancer, and breast self-examination. Research implications Most studies show how to self-examine breasts, but awareness and knowledge regarding the subject are not well demonstrated and applied in many studies. Although we now understand that women do not always need to use a specific BSE technique, they should still be taught and encouraged to recognize breast changes. BSE for early detection of breast cancer has undergone a paradigm change or development into breast awareness. The progression towards breast awareness is a concept where a woman is familiar with her breasts so that she detects any change that might emerge and brings this to the attention of her healthcare practitioner right away, whereas BSE is monthly palpation of the breasts in a specific manner in which women are professionally taught. Early detection of breast cancer relies heavily on breast awareness, which is why it should be covered in general breast health education.

The Relationship of Knowledge, Family Support, and Health Information Accessibility with Breast Self-Examination Motivation

Breast cancer is a malignancy that attacks the female breast. Based on data from the East Java Health Office for 2020, Sumenep Regency is the area with the most breast cancer and ranks 12th in East Java. One of the breast cancer screening efforts that can be done is the breast self-examination technique (BSE . This study aims to determine the relationship between the level of knowledge, family support and access to health information with the motivation to perform BSE in the Pagerungan Besar Islands, Sumenep Regency. This study uses a cross sectional design. The sampling technique used was consecutive sampling with a sample of 77 women. The research instrument used a questionnaire on the level of knowledge of family support, access to health information and BSE motivation. The i test used was the Spearman Correlation Test where a significant relationship was found between the level of knowledge and the motivation to perform BSE (p value=0.010; r=0.291), family support to the motivation to perform BSE (p value=0.00; r=) and relationship between access to health information and motivation to perform BSE (p value=0.005; r=). Increasing knowledge, family support and access to health information for women in the Pagerungan Besar Islands is very important to increase women's motivation to perform BSE as an effort to detect early breast cancer.

Analisis Hubungan Pengetahuan, Sikap, Motivasi, Dukungan Keluarga dan Peran Tenaga Kesehatan dengan Keberhasilan Melakukan Teknik Sadari pada WUS di Puskesmas Pakuan Baru Kota Jambi Tahun 2019

BSE (Breast Self Examination) is an examination which is easily done by every woman to look for lumps or other abnormalities. The factors that govern the behavior of the successful conduct BSE technique is the knowledge, attitudes, motivation, family support and the role of health professionals. The purpose of this study was to determine the relation of knowledge, attitude, motivation, family support and the role of health workers with the successful conduct of BSE technique in women of reproductive age (WUS). This research uses survey method with cross sectional analytic. This study population is women of childbearing age (WUS), amounting to 3,663 person sample were 96 people by means of quota sampling. Data collection techniques in this study using primary data with a questionnaire. Data were analyzed using chi-square statistical test. The results of the study there is a significant relationship between knowledge (p-value = 0.005), family support (p-value = 0.000), the role of health workers (p-value = 0.000) and no significant relationship between attitude (p-value = 1.00) and motivation (p-value = 0.140) with the successful conduct breast self-examination technique. For logistic regression statistical tests are the most dominant variable influence on the success of doing teknik SADARI in women of reproductive age (WUS) is the variable role of health workers with a p-value = 0.000 (OR : 10,490). The conclusion of this study are variables simultaneously the role of health workers with family support variables affect the success of techniques BSE.

Breast Self-Examination (BSE): Association between “Belief in BSE” and “Awareness of BSE” among University Female Students in Uganda

Background: Regular breast self-examination (BSE) has been known to effectively detect breast cancer occurrence early. Are Women who consider BSE effective in detecting breast cancer more likely to be aware of BSE, or vice versa? The present study was an attempt to answer this question. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed for 259 female University students in Kampala, Uganda. Data were analyzed using SPSS. Univariate and bivariate analyses were carried out. Results: The majority (64.1%) were aware of the BSE technique. Women considering BSE to be effective for early cancer detection were significantly more likely to be aware of the BSE technique. Conclusions: University students who believed in the benefits of BSE were more likely to be aware of BSE than those who did not. More emphasis should be placed on health education for women of younger ages to increase the knowledge of the practice of BSE.

Evaluation of the Pink Luminous Breast LED-Based Technology Device as a Screening Tool for the Early Detection of Breast Abnormalities.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of sex-specific female cancer deaths in the United States. Detection at earlier stages contributes to decreasing the mortality rate. The mammogram is the “Gold Standard” for breast cancer screening with an estimated sensitivity of 86.9% and a specificity of 88.9%. However, these values are negatively affected by the breast density considered a risk factor for developing breast cancer. Herein, we validate the novel LED-based medical device Pink Luminous Breast (PLB) by comparison with the mammogram using a double blinded approach. The PLB works by emitting a LED red light with a harmless spectrum of 640–800 nanometers. This allows the observation of abnormalities represented by dark or shadow areas. In this study, we evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of the PLB device as a screening tool for the early detection of breast abnormalities. Our results show that the PLB device has a high sensitivity (89.6%) and specificity (96.4%) for detecting breast abnormalities comparable to the adjusted mammogram values: 86.3 and 68.9%, respectively. The percentage of presence of breast density was 78.2% using PLB vs. 72.9% with the mammogram. Even with higher findings of breast density, the PLB is still capable of detecting 9.4% of calcifications compared to 6.2% in mammogram results and the reported findings for cysts, masses, or tumor-like abnormalities was higher using the PLB (6.5%) than the mammogram (5.6%). A 100% of the participants felt comfortable using the device without feeling pain or discomfort during the examination with 100% acceptability. The PLB positive validation shows its potential for routine breast screening at non-clinical settings. The PLB provides a rapid, non-invasive, portable, and easy-to-use tool for breast screening that can complement the home-based breast self-examination technique or the clinical breast examination. In addition, the PLB can be conveniently used for screening breasts with surgical implants. PLB provides an accessible and painless breast cancer screening tool. The PLB use is not intended to replace the mammogram for breast screening but rather to use it as an adjunct or complemental tool as part of more efficient earlier detection strategies contributing to decrease mortality rates.

A Cross-sectional Study on Breast Cancer among the Bangladeshi Female Population

The goal of the study was to analyze Bangladeshi women's knowledge of breast cancer and attitudes toward breast self-examination (BSE) practice along with the participants' trust in the breast cancer treatment facility in Bangladesh. The cross-sectional study was carried out between March and July of 2021 among 268 Bangladeshi women over the age of 15 through Google form-based questionnaire who were asked 18 questions about breast cancer. The acquired data were analyzed using SPSS version 25 and Excel. The 88% of those surveyed had heard of breast cancer, and 63.4% were aware of its symptoms. Participants' overall knowledge of breast cancer was not satisfactory, with a mean knowledge score of 3.53 on a scale of 0 to 6, and 40.3% fell into the "good knowledge" category. Age, education, residence, and a family history of breast cancer were significant predictors of knowledge level. Only 53% had heard of BSE before, and only 29.5% admitted to being familiar with the BSE technique. Only 23.5% had previously conducted BSE. Only 11.2% of those polled had faith in Bangladesh's breast cancer treatment facilities. Based on the findings of this study, it can be assumed that the majority of women in Bangladesh have minimal understanding of breast cancer, the most common cancer among Bangladeshi women. It is high time to take the required steps to raise awareness about breast cancer and BSE. Furthermore, widespread access to mammograms, radiation, and oncology treatment should be ensured in an attempt to restore faith in healthcare facilities. Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 25(1): 54-66, 2022 (January)

Comparison of health education with videos and leaflets on the knowledge of young women about early detection of breast cancer In SMP Negeri 15 Bandung

<p><strong><em>Background: </em></strong><em>Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that grows in the breast tissue and is the most common cancer disease affecting women in Indonesia with an incidence of 42.1 per 100.000 population and an average death rate of 17 per 100.000 population. The increasing incidence of breast cancer in women as adolescents and young adults is due to several factors such as parity at a young age, family history, gene mutations, and poor lifestyle factors. Early detection of breast cancer through education on causative factors and how to prevent breast cancer and breast self-examination technique will be very useful to reduce the incidence. </em></p><p><strong><em>Purpose: </em></strong><em>This study aimed to determine the comparison of breast cancer early detection health education with video and leaflets on the knowledge of young women about early detection of breast cancer.</em><em> </em></p><p><strong><em>Methods: </em></strong><em>This study used a quasi experiment method with two control group design. Samples collected with consecutive sampling techniques. This study conducted for 7 days in December 2019 on young women at SMP Negeri 15 Bandung with 40 subjects in each group. The technique used to collect the data is questionnaire. The experimental group is given with Video and the control group is given with Leaflet. The bivariate data analysis used Paired T-Test and Non-paired T-test. </em></p><p><strong><em>Results: </em></strong><em>The results of this study showed that there was an increase in the knowledge before and after being given video (p = 0.000) and leaflet (0,003) with significant difference in young women who were given video compared to those given leaflets (p=0,000).</em></p><strong><em>Conclusion: </em></strong><em>there were differences in health education with videos and leaflets on the knowledge of young women about early detection of breast cancer.</em>

AWARENESS AND BELIEF REGARDING BREAST CANCER AMONG WOMEN LIVING IN SELANGOR, MALAYSIA

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality among women. The aim of the current study was to assess the factors affecting awareness and beliefs regarding breast cancer, among women living in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among women living in Selangor aged 18 to 65 years old, with a total of 483 participants. A validated questionnaire regarding awareness and belief was used. The questionnaires consist of 25 questions comprising of socio-demographic, history of other diseases, awareness and belief. The prevalence of poor awareness among women was 63.4%. while the poor level of belief was 84.7%. There was a significant association between awareness and educational background, family history of breast cancer (P=0.001, P=0.032) respectively. The association between awareness and belief was significant (P=0.02). As a conclusion: There is a high level of poor belief and poor awareness among women in Selangor, Malaysia regarding breast cancer. Source of information such as the internet plays a major role in breast cancer prevention, and the majority of them do not know the technique of breast self-examination. More health promotion is needed to target general population through big campaign of awareness.

Awareness of breast cancer and breast self-examination among nursing students

Background: The purpose of the study was to study awareness and knowledge amongst girls about breast self-examination and breast cancer.Methods: An educational interventional study was carried out among 150 students of V. S. Hospital, School of Nursing. Students were educated about prevalence and severity of breast cancer as well as early detection techniques in an interactive lecture. Pre- and post-tests were administered before and after session. Data was analysed by using Epi Info 3.5.3.Results: It was found that 91% subjects were aware of the term of breast self-examination (BSE). Post intervention, awareness increased by 100%. Half of the subjects believed that practice of breast self-examination should begin at the age of 20 years, poste intervention, awareness increased in 93%. Approximately one fourth of the students were aware of the ideal frequency of performing BSE, after the intervention, awareness level increased to 83%. Only 27% of subjects were aware of technique of BSE. Post the intervention, it was found that 87% became aware about the correct technique. There was improvement of 49% in knowledge about indicators of breast cancer.Conclusions: There was increase in awareness among girls about breast self-examination and breast cancer after intervention.

The effect of structured training program on awareness and behavior regarding breast self-examination among community health workers of South Delhi

Background: Breast cancer is one of the malignant diseases where early diagnosis and treatment leads to a good prognosis. Breast self-examination (BSE) is the most cost-effective screening technique. Objective: The objective of the study is to assess the effect of training on awareness and behavior of BSE among the community health workers (CHWs). Methodology: A community-based interventional study was conducted among 148 Accredited Social Health Activist and Anganwadi Workers of the selected wards of South Delhi district in the year 2018. The study was done in three phases: baseline survey followed by intervention in the form of training session, which involved the use of nursing manikins for the demonstration of BSE technique and video demonstration, depicting proper performance of BSE. After a period of 2 weeks, the same questionnaire and training models were used on the same CHWs to assess the effect of the intervention on their awareness and behavior. Results: Although most of the CHWs were in the age group of 20–40 years and educated till higher secondary and above, only 40% had ever heard of self-breast examination and an even lesser number had ever performed self-breast examination before. The intervention helped in the increase of knowledge about the symptoms of breast cancer considerably. The confidence levels among CHWs and barriers seeking help in CHWs also improved and more people approached their doctors regarding changes seen in the breast, mainly lumps on self-examination. Conclusion: It was determined that the awareness and behavior change after training was positive. There is also effective improvement seen in confidence level and health-seeking behavior.

Practice of Breast Self-Examination and Associated Factors among Female Nurses of Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, South Ethiopia in 2018

Background: Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women and it is the leading cause of cancer related death worldwide. Despite the fact that most of the cases found at developed countries, the majority of death occur in low income countries including Ethiopia. Routine breast self-examination is important for early detection to augment prevention of breast cancer by 50% and reduce premature death of women. In active role in creating breast cancer awareness through education, nurses need to have a sound knowledge base and adequate practical skills in the field of breast cancer prevention. The aim of this study was to assess practice of breast self- examination (BSE) and associated factors among nurses. Methods: A hospital based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from March to April 2018 on a sample Of 180 female nurses. Pretested and structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. Data entry was done using EPI Info 3.5.4 and exported to SPSS version 20.0 software package for analysis. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed with logistic regression to measure the association between dependent and independent variables. Results: Total of 180 nurses were interviewed with a response rate of 91.8%. This study revealed that (71.2%) of nurses ever practiced BSE. From those nurses practiced BSE, only (28.1%) regularly; (16.4%) monthly (right response) and (32.0%) of a week after menses. Seven of them detected a breast mass/lump and only (16.4%) of nurses have taught BSE technique to their clients. Educational status of the nurses (AOR and 95% CI: 2.91; 1.74, 4.85) and family history of breast cancer (AOR and 95% CI: 5.2; 2.34, 8.15 were significantly associated with BSE practice. Conclusion: This study discovered severe gap about the correct practice of BSE among female nurses. The hospital and ministry of health of Ethiopia have to give regular education and training On BSE especially how to practice BSE correctly.

Health beliefs, behaviour and determining factors in breast self – examination among a group of university students

Objectives: Breast cancer is the most frequent malignancy in both Turkey and the World. Breast self-examination (BSE) is the cheapestand the easiest method for early detection. According to Turkey’s Ministry of Health, 65.1 percent of women have never performedBSE. Only 10.1 percent of women perform BSE monthly. The purpose of this study was to examine health beliefs, behaviour anddetermining factors in BSE among a group of university students.Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was carried out with 15,940 female university students in 2016. Samplesize was 912. The research data was collected using a self-report questionnaire form and the adapted Turkish version of Champion’sHealth Belief Model Scale (CHBMS).Results: Ten point four percent of students (n=91) reported that they performed BSE monthly. Monthly BSE rates were higher in thestudents who were educated about BSE, who knew BSE timing and technique, who had been performed clinical breast examinationand whose confidence subscale of CHBMS was higher.Conclusion: In conclusion, health education programs should include BSE education in high schools and universities. Also, theseeducation programs should include all women and relate to the confidence subscale of CHBMS.

Practice of Breast Self-Examination and Associated Factors Among Female Nurses of Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, South Ethiopia, 2018

Background : Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women and it is the leading cause of cancer related death worldwide. Despite most of the cases found at developed countries, majority of death occur in low income countries including Ethiopia. Routine breast self-examination is important for early detection to augment prevention of breast cancer by 50% and reduce premature death of women. In active role in creating breast cancer awareness through education, nurses need to have a sound knowledge base and adequate practical skills in the field of breast cancer prevention. The aim of this study was to assess practice of breast self- examination (BSE) and associated factors among nurses. Methods: A hospital based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from March to April 2018 on a sample of 180 female nurses. Pretested and structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. Data entry was done using EPI Info 3.5.4 and exported to SPSS version 20.0 software package for analysis. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed with logistic regression to measure the association between dependent and independent variables. Results: Total of 180 nurses were interviewed with a response rate of 91.8%. This study revealed that (71.2%) of nurses ever practiced BSE. From those nurses practiced BSE, only (28.1%) regularly; (16.4%) monthly (right response) and (32.0%) of a week after menses. Seven of them detected a breast mass/lump and only (16.4%) of nurses have taught BSE technique to their clients. Educational status of the nurses (AOR and 95% CI: 2.91; 1.74, 4.85) and family history of breast cancer (AOR and 95% CI: 5.2; 2.34, 8.15 were significantly associated with BSE practice. Conclusion: This study discovered severe gap about the correct practice of BSE among female nurses. The hospital and ministry of health of Ethiopia have to give regular education and training on BSE especially how to practice BSE correctly. Keywords: Nurse, breast cancer, breast self-examination, Ethiopia. DOI : 10.7176/JHMN/66-07 Publication date :September 30 th 2019

Awareness and Practice of Breast Self Examination among Women in Different African Countries: A 10-Year Review of Literature.

Breast self examination (BSE) is an important screening technique in detecting breast abnormalities. This procedure enables women become familiar with their breasts, thus making it easier for them to detect any changes that may occur. Routine performance of BSE is recommended for females above 20 years. This review of literature was conducted to assess the awareness and practice of BSE among women in different countries in Africa. A total of 28 out of 80 articles were reviewed from 15 African countries based on relevance. Review identification was performed through the search of Google Scholar and PubMed/MEDLINE/PubMed Central databases. Search terms used were “BSE,” “awareness,” “practice,” and “Africa.” Reference lists of identified studies were also used to find more studies. Majority of the reviewed studies showed adequate awareness, mainly from the media, but poor practice of BSE among women in various countries in Africa. A major barrier identified was inadequate knowledge of BSE technique. Although awareness of BSE was relatively high in many of the reviewed studies, the practice was low. Educational intervention program should be carried out among women in various African countries, not only to raise awareness but also to educate on the skills required to carry out BSE effectively.

Breast self-examination in Greek midwives and midwifery students.

The aim of this study is to assess breast self-examination (BSE) practice in a representative sample of Greek midwives and midwifery students. Breast self-examination (BSE) is infrequent in healthcare professionals, including physicians and nurses. All midwives (n=245) and graduating midwifery students (n=165) who attended a congress of midwives were eligible to participate in the study, and a self-administered, anonymous questionnaire was developed to assess BSE practice. Midwives performed BSE more frequently than students (p<0.001). In addition, 27.0% of students performed BSE less frequently than every year whereas the midwives' rate is 14.0% (p<0.001). The proportion of subjects searching for specific signs of breast cancer during BSE and the BSE technique did not differ between midwives and students. In midwifery students, higher perceived knowledge of breast cancer-related issues was associated with more frequent BSE. Only a minority of Greek midwives and midwifery students practice BSE every month, and therefore implications for nursing management in BSE education should be included in midwifery school curricula to ensure increased BSE frequency, improved BSE accuracy and the promotion of BSE teaching to patients.

Effectiveness of Self Instructional Module (SIM) on Knowledge and Technique of Breast Self Examination among Teachers of Selected High Schools in Kolhapur, Maharashtra

Effectiveness of Self Instructional Module (SIM) on Knowledge and Technique of Breast Self Examination among Teachers of Selected High Schools in Kolhapur, Maharashtra

Assessment of Factors Associated with Breast Self-Examination among Health Extension Workers in West Gojjam Zone, Northwest Ethiopia

Background. Early detection of breast cancer using breast self-examination (BSE) plays an important role in decreasing its morbidity and mortality. Objective. To identify factors associated with BSE among health extension workers in Northwest Ethiopia. Methods. Cross-sectional study design was employed from October to November, 2012 in West Gojjam Zone of Amhara region. Simple random sampling technique was used to recruit a total of 390 health extension workers (HEWs). A structured Amharic questionnaire was used to collect the data. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS statistical package version 16.0. Result. This study found that 37% of HEWs had ever practiced BSE and 14.4% practiced it regularly. The three main reasons for not doing regular BSE were no breast problem (53.2%), not knowing the technique of BSE (30.6%), and not knowing the importance of BSE (21.4%). Discussion with families on BSE and history of breast examination by health professionals were found significantly associated with ever practice of BSE. Conclusion. BSE practice was found low in this study. Having information on the importance of BSE was predictor of BSE practice. Therefore, it is important to give training on BSE techniques and its role on breast cancer prevention for HEWs.

Nursing College Students’ Knowledge on Male Breast Cancer

INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer is still poorly studied, onsetting one man for each one-hundred woman group. This study aims to assess the nursing college students’ knowledge on male breast cancer and male performance in the technique of breast self-examination at a university in the city of Vitoria da Conquista in 2007. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The research is a descriptive one involving primary data collection in its quantitative character. Among the 586 nursing students, 99 were included in the sample. We applied a structured form and visual analysis of the achievement of male self-breast examination using a prototype called “male breast friend” made ??by the author of the study. The data analysis was descriptive and for the statistics data organization the Microsoft Excel 2003 was applied. RESULTS: The students involved in the process attended from the 2nd to the 9th semester of the nursing course, were between 18 to 55 years of age and 83% were females and 17% males. Among them 84% said that they knew male breast cancer, 61% asserted that they didn’t get information on male breast cancer at the university. They described as specific signs and/or clinical findings of this type of cancer: hardened masses in the region of the breast areola, pain in the breasts, enlargement of the breasts and mamillary discharge, respectively.56% believe that this neoplasia has inherited traits, 87% said that this malignant neoplasia can cause metastasis, 93% believe that there is treatment for it. 83% of the students reported knowing the correct technique for breast self- examination. As for the simulation of the implementation of the self-examination using the “male breast friend”, 45% of the students did it correctly, 46% incorrectly and 8% refused to do it. DISCUSSION: The students mentioned the principal signs described in the literature for this type of neoplasia. However the heredity and the way it can be treated have been the cause of lack of knowledge among the students. When comparing the variable of “knowledge of the correct self- examination technique” and “simulation of the self-examination practice”, we truly realized that the students know the self-examination but have not been able to affirm that they know how to do it correctly, for 46% of them performed such a technique incorrectly.

Knowledge, attitude and practice regarding breast cancer and breast self-examination among a sample of the educated population in Iraq

This cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study evaluated the knowledge, attitude and practice towards breast cancer and breast self-examination (BSE) among 387 (302 females and 85 males) educated Iraqis affiliated to 2 Iraqi universities. The participants were categorized into 3 occupations: student (71.3%), teaching staff (10.3%) and administrative staff (18.3%). About half of the participants had a low knowledge score (< 50%); only 14.3% were graded as "Good" and above. Almost 75% of the participants believed that the best way to control breast cancer was through early detection and other possible preventive measures. Most participants (90.9%) had heard of BSE, the main source of information being television. However, only 48.3% practised BSE; the most common reason for not doing so was lack of knowledge of how to perform the technique correctly. Almost 84% of the female participants were willing to instruct others in the technique of BSE.