Knowledge and practice of above 15 years old females towards breast cancer prevention in Sari township, 2004

Background and Screening and preventive programs are the important components in reduction of breast cancer morbidity and mortality. Ïn this cross-sectional descriptive study, above 15 years old females were selected and were randomly divided in 6 stratums based on the determined aims. We collected 400 questionnaires per stratum and totally 2400 cases with mean age of 25.01 ± 8.78 years and age range of 15-78 entered in this study. Âlso 46.9% were married, 86.7% had a medium to high education, 23.5% were housewives, 54.2% students and family history of breast cancer was reported in 25.8%. Knowledge about breast cancer prevention was good in 28.5%, low in 67.3%, and poor in 4.2%. Ït was shown taht 37% of the females 20 to 40 years and 48.8% above 40 years performed breast self-examination. But only 17.1% did it monthly. Âpproximately, 13.12% felt very confident about their correctly done self breast examination. Âlso 82.6% of the women 20 years and older did not refere to specialist for the last 2 years. Âmong women 40 years of age and higher, approximately 65.86% refered specialist once and 47.3% did mammoggraphy in the last two years and 61.07% have had at least one mommography in their life time. Çonclusion: The Ïranian female population need for planning health education interventions and population-based specific regular screening programs to improve cancer prevention.