The effect of self‑care training programs on lifestyle and breast self‑examination of immigrant Afghan women

Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer and a major cause of mortality among women. Breast self‑examination (BSE) is a key technique for early diagnosis of breast cancer, which, along with lifestyle changes, can alleviate the risk of mortality. This study aimed to examine the effect of self‑care training programs on lifestyle change and BSE of immigrant Afghan women residing in Iran.

In this quasi‑experimental study, 140 immigrant Afghan women visiting health‑care centers in Shiraz (Iran) were selected via convenience sampling during 2019–2020. The data were collected using a lifestyle questionnaire, a demographic information checklist, and a BSE checklist. Following the pretest, the experimental group received three sessions of self‑care training and took the posttest 2 months after the intervention. The control group did not receive any intervention, but took the same posttest 2 months after the pretest. Data analysis was performed using paired and independent t‑test and Chi‑squared test in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 22.

The post‑intervention level of knowledge and performance of the experimental group significantly increased in terms of a healthy lifestyle (P < 0.001) and performance of BSE (P < 0.001) compared to the control group. The intervention also had a significant positive effect (P < 0.000) on all dimensions of lifestyle.

Self‑care training for lifestyle and BSE can promote the prevention and early diagnosis of breast cancer in immigrant Afghan women who have limited access to health care.