Effect of breast cancer awareness education in adolescent girls: a quasi-experimental study

Abstract

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer type among women worldwide. Increasing awareness of breast cancer during adolescence is likely to result in the acquisition of lifelong protective and preventive behaviors. Aim: The aim of this study is to enhance breast cancer awareness among adolescent girls through a health education program based on the Health Belief Model (HBM). Methods: This study utilized a single-group pretest-posttest design. The sample group consisted of 79 high school female adolescents. Educational interventions consisted of four teaching sessions, each lasting 60 minutes. Data were collected through the “Participants Information Form” and the “Breast Cancer Awareness Evaluation Form.” The data were evaluated using paired sample t-tests and Chi-Square tests. Results: The mean age of the adolescents was 16.0 ± 0.96 years. Significant changes in the level of knowledge regarding breast cancer symptoms and risk factors were observed after the education. Prior to the educational program, adolescents answered fewer than 50% of the 12 questions about risk factors correctly, whereas after the intervention, the correct answer rate for these questions reached at least 81.0%. Before the intervention, the correct answer rate for symptoms was at least 38.0%, which increased to 79.7% after the intervention. There was a statistically significant difference in the pre-test and post-test correct answer rates for all breast cancer symptoms (P<0.05). Conclusion: Implementing a health education program based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) during adolescence to enhance breast cancer awareness and instill lifelong preventive health behaviors related to breast cancer is of significant importance.