Investigation of Beliefs and Practices of University Students Regarding Breast Self-Examination

Öz

Objective: Aim of this study was to investigate university students' knowledge, behaviour and awareness of breast self-examination and health beliefs about early detection of breast cancer. Method: A descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 610 university students. Data were collected between November 2022 and April 2023 using “Personal Information Form” and “Champion Breast Cancer Health Belief Model Scale”. Results: Students had knowledge about breast cancer (72.0%), knew how to perform breast self-examination (62.8%) and learnt it from internet (46.9%). Students performed breast self-examination once a month (36.8%) and whenever they remembered (74.2%). The familial risk factors significantly increased the sensitivity levels of students. The region where they came from increased the level of taking the disease seriously (p<0.05). The sensitivity, motivation, benefits, barriers, self-efficacy subscale scores and total scale scores were significantly higher (p<0.05) among students who had information about breast cancer and who performed breast self-examination monthly or annually, on the first day of each month or whenever they thought of it were found to be statistically significant higher (p<0.05). Conclusion: It was concluded that increasing awareness could increase health beliefs about breast cancer screening. Also, students' health beliefs were dependent on variables such as geographical region of residence, faculty of study, family history of cancer, knowledge level, use and frequency breast self-examination and reasons for doing and not doing breast self-examination. There is a need for intensive and comprehensive breast cancer education and breast self-examination awareness. It is important to include demographic variables and individual experience characteristics in the training curriculum.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• breast self-examination
• health belief model
• breast neoplasms
• students

Üniversite Öğrencilerin Kendi Kendine Meme Muayenesine İlişkin İnanç ve Uygulamalarının İncelenmesi

Öz

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, üniversite öğrencilerinin kendi kendine meme muayenesi konusundaki bilgi, davranış ve farkındalıkları ile meme kanserinin erken teşhisi konusundaki sağlık inançlarını araştırmaktır. Yöntem: Tanımlayıcı ve kesitsel çalışma 610 üniversite öğrencisi ile gerçekleştirildi. Veriler Kasım 2022 ile Nisan 2023 tarihleri arasında "Kişisel Bilgi Formu" ve "Champion Meme Kanseri Sağlık İnanç Modeli Ölçeği" kullanılarak toplandı. Bulgular: Öğrencilerin meme kanseri hakkında bilgi sahibi olduğu (%72,0), kendi kendine meme muayenesi yapmayı bildiği (%62,8) ve internetten (%46,9) öğrendiği bulundu. Öğrencilerin kendi kendine meme muayenesini ayda bir defa (%36,8) ve ne zaman akıllarına gelirse (%74,2) yaptıkları belirlendi. Ailesel risk faktörü bulunan öğrencilerin duyarlılık düzeylerinin anlamlı derecede arttığı belirlendi. Öğrencilerin geldikleri bölgenin hastalığı ciddiye alma düzeylerini arttırdığı bulundu (p<0,05). Meme kanseri hakkında bilgi sahibi olan, aylık ya da yıllık olarak, her ayın ilk günü ya da aklına geldikçe kendi kendine meme muayenesi yapan öğrencilerin, duyarlılık motivasyon, yarar, engel, öz yeterlilik alt ölçek puanları ve toplam ölçek puanları istatistiksel olarak anlamlı düzeyde yüksek saptandı (p<0,05). Sonuç: Farkındalığın artırılmasının meme kanseri taramasına ilişkin sağlık inançlarını artırabileceği belirlendi. Ayrıca, öğrencilerin sağlık inançlarının ikamet edilen coğrafi bölge, öğrenim görülen fakülte, ailede kanser öyküsü, meme kanseri hakkında bilgi sahibi olma, kendi kendine meme muayenesi yapma sıklığı, yapma ve yapmama nedenleri gibi değişkenlere bağlı olduğu sonucuna varıldı. Meme kanseri ve kendi kendine meme muayenesi farkındalığı konusunda yoğun ve kapsamlı bir eğitime ihtiyaç vardır. Eğitim müfredatına demografik değişkenlerin ve bireysel deneyim özelliklerinin entegre edilmesi önemlidir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• kendi kendine meme muayenesi
• meme neoplazileri
• öğrenciler
• sağlık inanç modeli

Kaynakça

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