The Effectiveness of a Community-Based Breast Cancer Education Intervention in the New York State Capital Region

Abstract

Objectives We determined the effectiveness of a community-based breast cancer education intervention among understudied populations in the New York State (NYS) Capital Region by assessing and comparing baseline and post-education breast cancer knowledge. Methods Participants included 417 students recruited from five colleges/universities and 67 women from four community group organizations. Baseline and post-education knowledge was assessed via self-administered mostly multiple-choice questionnaires. An open-ended question soliciting opinions about public health prevention strategies against breast cancer was included on college/university students’ questionnaires. Effectiveness of education intervention was estimated through a paired t-test. Stratified analysis was done using demographic and descriptive variables. Answers to the open-ended questions were analyzed qualitatively. Results The mean percentage of correct answers increased from 39.9% at baseline to 80.8% post-education (P<0.0001) among college/university students and from 43.5% to 77.8% (P<0.0001) among community group members. Effectiveness remained statistically significant in all stratified analyses with similarly high percentage of correct answers achieved post-education irrespective of knowledge level at baseline. Stratified analysis also revealed similar patterns of improvement in overall knowledge and narrowing of the gap in post-education knowledge. Primary prevention emerged as the dominant theme post-education in students’ responses to the open-ended question, signifying the effectiveness of our education in raising awareness about modifiable risk factors and inspiring proactive thinking about public health prevention strategies. Conclusions This community-based education intervention was effective in increasing breast cancer knowledge among demographically diverse groups with low levels of baseline knowledge in the NYS Capital Region. Our findings provide leads for future public health prevention strategies.

The Effects of Training on Knowledge and Beliefs About Breast Cancer and Early Diagnosis Methods Among Women

“…The results of the present study agreed with the findings by Açıkgöz et al (32) and Ceber and colleagues in Turkey (22). The results of this study were similar to studies conducted in western Kenya, in Jordan, in the New York State Capital Region, in Taiwan, in studies conducted with immigrant Latino women and in Egypt and they revealed that there was a highly significant improvement in all knowledge items delivered to the intervention group from the pre to the post-test (6,27,(33)(34)(35)(36). As can be understood from the results of the above previous studies, training is the best way to increase knowledge.…”

Effect of a Breast-Self Examination (BSE) Educational Intervention among Female University Students

“…However, the posttest of the present study demonstrated significant improvements in students' performance of BSE, which is certainly attributed to the practical part of the program. The effectiveness of the program in improving the practice of BSE is in agreement with a number of studies from several countries as in China (Ouyang and Hu, 2014), Ghana (Mena et al, 2014), the United States (Zeinomar and Moslehi, 2013) as well as in Alexandria, Egypt (Kharboush et al, 2011). …”

Impact of community-based educational intervention on breast cancer and its screening awareness among Arab women in the United Arab Emirates

“…14,20,21 The educational intervention resulted in significant improvement in all the BC knowledge domains. Our findings concur with the results of other BC educational interventions undertaken in different international studies conducted in United States, 17 United Kingdom, 18 Colombia, 16 Egypt, 23 Iran 24 and Kenya. 25 Awareness of BC risk factors improved significantly after the educational intervention.…”

“…14,15 Educational interventions have proven to be effective in increasing the knowledge of BC and practice of breast self-examination. [16][17][18][19] Very few studies have been conducted in UAE assessing the knowledge of BC and its screening in the Arab women. 14,20,21 These studies reported lack of awareness regarding BC among these women and emphasized on the urgent need of community educational interventions to raise the awareness and knowledge of BC and its screening procedures.…”