Effects of health teaching in the workplace on women's knowledge, beliefs, and practices regarding breast self-examination

This study had two primary purposes: to examine the effects of group and individual teaching by nurses in the workplace on 140 female office employees' health knowledge, beliefs, and practices regarding breast self-examination and to identify factors associated with frequency of practice. Skill in technique, confidence in the skill, and frequency of breast self-examination increased significantly with both teaching formats, but there were areas of technique that needed further improvement. Perceived susceptibility to breast cancer and perceived benefits of breast self-examination increased significantly only with individual teaching; knowledge was not increased with either teaching format.     

The effect of education given to university students on health beliefs and testicular self-examination

This research aims to evaluate the effect of group-oriented peer education given to university students with testicular cancer on health beliefs and self-examination. Is there a statistical difference in the average of health belief points of university students before education compared to after education? Testicular cancer is one of the most common cancers in young men aged 0–34 years, and is the third most common cancer in men worldwide. It ranks first among the most common types of cancer in men of the same age in Turkey. This research is a semi-experimental quantitative study with a single group pre-test and post-test design. The students of the health care services and therapy rehabilitation department of a Turkish state university participated in the study. The number of students to be included in the study was determined as n = 78 when the calculation was made according to the sample selection formula for the group whose universe was known. Data were obtained from the personal information form, the testicular cancer and testicular self-examination-related health beliefs scale, and the self-examination form. This study followed the ethical directions of the Helsinki Declaration. Ethics committee approval and institutional permission were obtained before the study was conducted. The students were informed about the purpose of the research, and their consent was obtained to participate in the research. Mann–Whitney U, Wilcoxon, and chi-square analyses were performed for data analysis. A significant difference was found between pre-test and post-test scores of severity and care, benefit and health motivation, barriers, and self-efficacy (p < 0.05). In the study, it was determined that group-oriented peer education was effective in promoting testicular self-examination. Experimental studies with larger study groups are recommended to increase testicular self-examination. Practice educational initiatives should be planned to encourage nurses to perform testicular self-exam in the best environment and education model where they can reach men in the risk group between the ages of 15–25 organization of planned trainings for men. This study is the small sample size. A larger and more representative sample of students from the social and health departments of different faculties would have provided more reliable results.     

The effect of structured training on breast self-examination search behaviors as measured using biomedical instrumentation

BACKGROUND: Although breast self-examination (BSE) has long been recommended by health care practitioners as a complement to mammography and clinical breast examination, only a small percentage of U.S. women report doing monthly BSE, and an even smaller number of women perform this procedure proficiently. OBJECTIVES: To measure the effect of a structured training protocol on improving two dimensions of BSE technique (depth of palpation and search time) in each of two search patterns (vertical strip and concentric circle) using biomedical instrumentation. METHODS: For this study, 41 young women participated in a structured training protocol for BSE instruction. The dependent variable was thoroughness of search, for which there were two measures: depth of palpation (displacement of the sensors) and duration of the examination. An instrumented breast model designed by the investigator provided quantitative measurements of examination behaviors and was used to test outcomes of the instruction. RESULTS: Multivariate analyses demonstrated an overall difference across examinations (F = 28.03; p = 0.0001). Univariate tests showed treatment effects for both dependent variables: depth of palpation and duration of examination. CONCLUSIONS: Individual training in BSE with guided practice improved two measures of thoroughness of search: depth of palpation and duration of search time. Biomedical instrumentation represented a novel approach to the collection of quantitative performance data.     

The effect of education and counselling on knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about responses to acute myocardial infarction symptoms.

The time that elapses from the onset of symptoms of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) to treatment has a significant effect on mortality and morbidity. This study reports the effectiveness of an education and counselling intervention on knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about AMI symptoms and the appropriate response to symptoms. The intervention was tested in a randomised controlled trial of 200 people with a history of coronary heart disease (CHD). The groups were equivalent at baseline on study outcomes, clinical history and sociodemographic characteristics with the exception of more women in the intervention group (38% vs. 24%). The results of repeated measures ANOVA showed that the intervention resulted in improved knowledge of CHD, AMI symptoms and the appropriate response to symptoms that was sustained to 12 months (p=0.02). There were no differences between groups' attitudes and beliefs over time. It is concluded that a short individual teaching and counselling intervention resulted in improved knowledge of CHD, AMI symptoms and the appropriate response to symptoms in people at risk of AMI sustained to 12 months.     

健康教育对社区妇女乳腺癌筛查行为及相关知识的影响

目的:探讨健康教育对社区妇女乳腺癌筛查行为以及相关知识的影响。方法:此次临床研究主要抽取我社区180名妇女为研究对象,将其随机分为对照组和试验组各90名,对照组采用常规干预,试验组在常规干预的基础上增加健康教育。比较两组妇女健康知识知晓情况以及妇女乳腺癌筛查行为。结果:试验组妇女的健康知识知晓情况以及乳腺癌筛查行为均高于对照组,差异存在统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:健康教育对社区妇女乳腺癌筛查行为以及相关知识知晓度具有促进效果,值得推广和普及。     

A modified cancer education program. Effect on cancer knowledge and beliefs of the elderly

This pilot study examines the effect of a cancer education program on the knowledge and beliefs of elderly adults. The program, developed for this age group, was based on principles of adult education and on an understanding of changes related to aging. It focused on cancer risks and early diagnosis of cancer for older adults. The sample included 21 elderly adults from three retirement centers. The questionnaire used to determine knowledge and beliefs about cancer included seven scales based on the Health Beliefs Model: knowledge, severity, susceptibility, utility, barriers, behavioral intentions, and cues to action. A week following administration of the questionnaire, a program was presented: the modified cancer education program, a conventional cancer education program, or a program not related to cancer. The questionnaire was then readministered as a posttest. Findings were insignificant except that the group receiving the modified cancer program had increased scores on the knowledge scale from pretest to posttest; and the level of education accounted for 25% of the variability of posttest utility scores. The pilot study was useful for identifying problems with the questionnaire, the testing procedure, and the educational program that need to be corrected before a larger study can be undertaken.     

The effect of physician education on knowledge of drug therapeutics and costs.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if a clinical pharmacist-sponsored education program regarding physician knowledge of drug costs and therapeutics would change drug utilization and costs for specific high-cost groups of drugs in a pediatric critical care unit (PCCU). STUDY DESIGN: Prescribers within the PCCU completed a questionnaire addressing drug costs and therapeutic issues. Subsequent to the questionnaire the PCCU liaison pharmacist implemented a visual display of monthly drug costs, an education program that included the presentation of questionnaire results, and drug information lectures discussing controversial therapeutic issues. After the education program participants again completed the questionnaire. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: The study was conducted in a 13-bed PCCU in a regional children's hospital. The participants were postgraduate trainees in pediatrics and critical care medicine as well as attending staff in the PCCU. OUTCOME MEASURES: The main outcome measure was the score on a test addressing drug costs and therapeutic issues. RESULTS: The mean overall posteducation score (52.5 percent) improved significantly from the preeducation score (46.4 percent). The preeducation questionnaire results indicated increased knowledge of costs by residents and increased knowledge of therapeutics by attending physicians. The number of educational sessions attended appeared to be associated with improvement in overall questionnaire scores. CONCLUSIONS: There was improvement in knowledge of drug costs and therapeutics associated with the educational program. Although this relationship did not reach statistical significance, this may be related to the relatively small sample size of our study. Our results suggest that clinical pharmacists can positively influence physicians' knowledge on drug costs and therapeutics.     

Development of a breast self-examination program for the Internet: health information for Korean women

Internet-based health information will enable us to interact with many people despite distance and time constraints. Informational media by computer is expected to become an important factor that affects health behavior. This study was done to develop an accessible multimedia program about breast self-examination on the Internet. This study was designed by using the two steps of need assessment and program development. For the need assessment step, a survey was carried out. The sample consisted of the 82 women of Yonsei University selected by convenient random sampling. At the program development step, screen design took into account perspectives of computer engineering. A storyboard for every screen was made via screen design and then ported to computer using the Netscape Navigator program. A breast self-examination program was developed using Netscape 4.0 on the Windows 98 platform. The multimedia program, including text, graphics, animation, and sound, was constructed with HTML language using Memo Sheet in Netscape Navigator. The contents of health information posted on the Internet included general information about breast cancer, the importance of breast self-examination, self-risk appraisal of breast cancer, the diverse methods about breast self-examination, the monthly check list graph, and social network for consultation. It is possible to interact with clients through the Question and Answer function on screen. This Internet-based health information program provides enough information, which can be accessed using search systems on the Internet.