The relationship between breast self-examination and stages of change model in health volunteers

Breast cancer is a major cause of mortality in women. One out of nine women suffers from breast cancer in developed countries. Monthly breast self-examination (BSE) is an important screening activity for early diagnosis of breast cancer. This study was carried out with the aim to identify the relationship between breast self-examination and stages of change model in health volunteers. For this analytical research, 410 health volunteers were selected through cluster sampling. Subsequently and proportionate to cluster size, sampling was conducted. The data gathering tool was a questionnaire based on stages of change model and breast BSE which was completed as self- report by the mentioned volunteers in the health centers. The data was then processed and analyzed by SPSS-16.5. The results revealed that the mean age of the subjects was 34.8+9.3. Regarding the rate and status of predicting breast self-examination through stages of change model; it was found that stages of change model were capable of predicting the stages of change by 54% of breast behavior self-examination. This study confirmed the effectiveness of stages of change model on prediction of breast self-examination among health volunteers of Mashhad, Iran. Moreover, the stages of change model are from the most influential factors on breast self-examination; therefore, it should be reconsidered in design and implementation of educational interventions.