Effectiveness of Online Education in Teaching Breast Self-Examination

Tuna A., AVDAL E. Ü., ÇINAR YÜCEL Ş., Dal N. A., Dicle A., Ozkan A., ...More

ASIAN PACIFIC JOURNAL OF CANCER PREVENTION, vol.15, no.7, pp.3227-3231, 2014 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 15 Issue: 7
  • Publication Date: 2014
  • Doi Number: 10.7314/apjcp.2014.15.7.3227
  • Journal Name: ASIAN PACIFIC JOURNAL OF CANCER PREVENTION
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.3227-3231
  • Keywords: Breast self-examination, online education program, women, university environment, Turkey
  • Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Background: This research evaluated the effectiveness of an online education model in teaching breast self-examination to university staff and students. Materials and Methods: 1,679 women participated in a breast self-examination online training program. Breast self-examination knowledge evaluation forms developed by Maurer (1997) were used in the research and were evaluated on a 100 point scale. Paired t-test and McNemar's Test statistics were employed. Results: The participants scored an average of 46.5 (14.0%) on knowledge on breast self-examination before training, but 77.4 (11.0%) one month after education and 76.7 (9.52%) after six months. There was a clear significant difference between these knowledge levels (p<0.05). Similarly, while the rate for systematic practice of breast self-examination among women was 30.8% before training it increased to 47.8% afterwards. Again the difference was significant (p<0.05). Conclusions: Online education is an effective method for teaching breast self-examination to women.