Health beliefs, behaviour and determining factors in breast self - examination among a group of university students

Objectives: Breast cancer is the most frequent malignancy in both Turkey and the World. Breast self-examination (BSE) is the cheapest and the easiest method for early detection. According to Turkey's Ministry of Health, 65.1 percent of women have never performed BSE. Only 10.1 percent of women perform BSE monthly. The purpose of this study was to examine health beliefs, behaviour and determining factors in BSE among a group of university students. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was carried out with 15,940 female university students in 2016. Sample size was 912. The research data was collected using a self-report questionnaire form and the adapted Turkish version of Champion's Health Belief Model Scale (CHBMS). Results: Ten point four percent of students (n=91) reported that they performed BSE monthly. Monthly BSE rates were higher in the students who were educated about BSE, who knew BSE timing and technique, who had been performed clinical breast examination and whose confidence subscale of CHBMS was higher. Conclusion: In conclusion, health education programs should include BSE education in high schools and universities. Also, these education programs should include all women and relate to the confidence subscale of CHBMS.