ABSTRACT

This study aimed to determine the breast cancer and self breast examination belief and the eff ecting factors among state dormitory girl students. Data have been collected from the schoolgirls staying in the state dormitory of Cumhuriyet University by a questionnaire which consists of breast cancer and self breast examination and the eff ecting factors ideas and their sociodemographic specialities by using Champion Medical Belief Model. The data were analysed using student t test and one way Anova test by using SPSS 10.0 statistical program. The sociodemographic specialities of students were as following: %46.4 between 21-22 years old, %82 taking licence education, %98.7 single, %39.5 insured by Sosyal Sigortalar Kurumu, %22.3 insured by Emekli Sandığı. Menstruation have been seen after 13 years old at%31.8 and after 16 years at %7.7 of girl students.%97.9 of them did not have any breast lesion and %60 of breast lesions were lipoid and %16.7 had a family history of cancer was origined from their mothers. When the medical belief scale assessed; point average was 7.78±1.91, seriousness was 19.16±5.48, usefullness was 15.92±6.52, blockage was 26.13±4.78, confi dence was 29.13±8.76 and the average of medical motivation was 19.25±7.13. The sensitivity subscale point for the people having a cancer patient around was statistically diff erent from who have no (p<0.05). The sensitivity subscale point of the schoolgirls who had learned to examine themselves was statistically diff erent from who have known this examination at the beginning (p<0.05). In conclusion, training programs should be planned for university students for self breast examination, the symptoms of breast cancer and the importance of early diagnosis. And also the training of these students may be useful because of their eff ect on their contemporary friends to spread this knowledge to population.