Relationship between Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Breast-Self Examination among Middle and High School Girls

Purpose: This study was done to investigate the relationship between knowledge, attitude, and practice toward breast self-examination (BSE) among middle and high school girls. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted using self-report questionnaires. Participants were 412 students, 137 middle and 275 high school girls. Data were collected from December 7 to 23, 2016 and analyzed using t-test and Spearman correlation coefficient. Results: The percentage of correct answers for knowledge about breast self-examination among middle and high school girls was 29.2%. The mean score for practice (5.89±0.10) among middle and high school girls was low. For knowledge, there were significant differences according to grade (t=5.93, p<.001), having heard about BSE (t=4.02, p<.001), experience of BSE (t=2.51, p=.012), and need for education (t=3.37, p=.001). In practice, there were significant differences according to having heard about BSE (t=3.64, p<.001), experience of BSE (t=2.64, p=.017). Knowledge level of BSE positively correlated with practice of BSE (r=.21, p<.001). Conclusion: Research results suggest that education on BSE for middle and high school girls is needed to increase the possibility of early detection of breast cancer.