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

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.