Background: Young breast cancer patients have a lower rate of survival than old breast cancer patients due to being diagnosed at advanced stages. Breast self-examination makes women more "breast aware", which in turn may lead to an earlier diagnosis of breast cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate knowledge and practice of breast self-examination and to determine knowledge of risk factors for breast cancer among high school students.

The purpose of this study was to adapt Champion's Revised Health Belief Model Scale for Turkish women and to examine selected sociodemographic variables associated with breast self-examination (BSE). Data were collected from a total of 430 females who were living in one of the Health Center areas located in Izmir, a city in the west of Turkey. Champion's revised Health Belief Model Scale was translated into Turkish, validated by professional judges, translated back into English, and then tested. Factor analysis yielded 7 factors: susceptibility, seriousness, barrier 1, barrier 2, confidence, benefits, and health motivation. Significant correlations were found between 2 barriers. Therefore, 2 barriers were considered one barrier subscale. All the items on each factor were from the same construct. Cronbach alpha coefficients ranged from .58 to .89, and test-retest reliability coefficients ranged from .89 to .99 for the subscales. Women who received low scores on barriers reported greater frequency of BSE practice. Likewise, women having high scores on confidence, benefits, health motivation, susceptibility, and seriousness reported a greater frequency of BSE in the last year. The frequency of BSE practice was higher in high school and university graduates, women with a family history of breast cancer, and women with breast cancer and BSE training. The Turkish version of Champion's Revised Health Belief Model Scale was found to be a valid and reliable tool for use with Turkish women. It could be used to evaluate health beliefs about breast cancer and BSE among Turkish women.

Peers can reinforce learning through ongoing contact. Peer education can be used to improve early diagnosis of breast cancer and breast cancer awareness in asymptomatic women.