ABSTRACT

Purpose:

This semi-experimental study is planned for measuring the eff ectiveness of the programmed education given about self breast examination (SBE) to women aged 20 and more who have applied to İzmir Ödemiş Primary Health Care Center Number 2.

Patients and Methods:

The researchers collect data face to face with the questionnaire that was based on the literature. The questionnaire was performed as pre-test and post-test to study (n=35) and control (n=35) groups who have accepted to take part in the study. The research was performed between May 2005 and April 2007. The data were coded in computer with SPSS statistics program and evaluated with number, percent, t-test, X2 test and Wilcoxon test.

Results:

Knowledge score average of women in experiment group was higher than the pre-test (15,57 ± 12,11) in the post-test (45,42 ± 9,0) and this score difference was meaningful; knowledge score average of women in control group was higher than the pre-test (25,14±13,96) in the post-test (30,84±12,86) and the difference between them was meaningful.

Conclusion:

In most of the breast cancer cases the lumps are found by the women herself, as a result of this the importance education programs for providing women to perform SBE is inavoidable.