The investigation of knowledge, attitude and behavior of 20 years and older women living in Adana Havutlu quarter about breast cancer and breast self-examination

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in developed and developing countries. Because of the incidence, morbidity and mortality is high, to protect against breast cancer is an important public health problem in our country as in the whole world. Breast self-examination is easy to implement for all women and an effective method for early diagnosis. The aim of this study is to learn about women's knowledge and behavior about early prevention methods of breast cancer, risk factors for breast cancer and breast self-examination, and provide information to women about the importance of breast self-examination and how it is done. Information that will be gathered at the end of this study will shed light on the early diagnosis of breast cancer and expected that women gain the BSE habit. This is a cross sectional study. The population of the study is women 20 years and older living in Havutlu family health center. A total of 302 woman randomly selected from family health center records has been reached. Questionnaire consisting 58 item and 42 questions of Champion's Health Belief Model Scale is applied to women. For the evaluation of data frequency tables, chi-square test, Mann Whitney U test, Fisher exact chi-square test and t-test was used. To the question of the most common cancer among women in Turkey, 96,0 % of women answered as breast cancer and 60.3% had heard on television. 75.5% of participants stated that they performed breast self-examination before and only 11.6% perform regularly for month. The rate of educated women's regularly performing of breast self-examination was higher. For breast self-examination age, information of breast cancer, breast self-examination, mammography, having breast complaints and taking mammography factors found statistically significant (p<0.005). Of women over 40 years old, heard of breast cancer, having information about breast self-examination, heard of mammography, having breast complaints performing of BSE was higher. For taking mammography factors such as been age, having breast complaint, performing breast self-examination found to be statistically significant (p<0.005). When women's age progresses mammography rate was decreasing. When level of education increases taking of mammography rates also increases but it wasn't statistically significant. The mammography rate for women with breast complaints was higher. There were significant differences between the scores of seriousness, benefits, barriers, self-efficacy and health promotion of women performing breast self-examination and not performing breast self-examination. It is recommended to give clear, detailed and participation router messages to women that participating screening programs is important for their health and it's a necessity. It is also recommended that periodic training for breast self-examination must be organized and social studies done to overcome the barriers for mammography. Keywords: breast cancer, breast self-examination, Champion's Health Belief Model Scale, women 20 ages and over