THE EFFECTIVE OF EDUCATION AND love preventive BREAST cancer PROGRAM ON KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND self-BREAST EXAMINATION skill AMONG WOMEN AGED 30 – 70 years IN MUEANG DISTRICT, AMNATCHAROEN PROVINCE

Abstract

This quasi-experimental research aimed to study the effect of love preventive breast cancer program on knowledge, attitude and self-breast examination skill. The experimental group and the comparison group were randomly divided into 50 groups of women aged from 30 to 70 years who were living in Mueang District, Amnatcharoen Province. The data were collected by using questionnaires to measure knowledge, attitude and self-breast examination skill. Scales of the questionnaire had reliability coefficients ranging from 0.72-0.86. The data were analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics. The Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test and the Mann-Whitney U test were used.

          The result showed that both sample groups most of them were of average age at 47.38±9.92 and 50.16±10.88, graduating from elementary school at 50.0% and 80.0%, 48.00% and 54.0% were agriculture, gardener, and farmer. The experimental group had an average of high level of knowledge, very good attitude and very good skills with 82.0 percent increased, an average score of 12.54±1.26, 62.0 an average of 25.46±3.86 and 82.0 an average score of 8.10±1.37 respectively. While the control group found that an average of low level of knowledge was 100.0%, the average score was 3.08±1.90, moderate attitude was 68.0%, an average score was 17.46±1.72 and the skills were less than 96.0%, the average score was 2.20±0.80. Knowing the attitudes and skills in the experimental group increased significantly before and after the experiment and significantly different from the control group at p-value <0.01, and the skills of the control group before and after experiment as well as a statistically significant p-value<0.01. From the study, hospitals, district health officers and public health programs can apply to promote breast self-examination and able to lead to proper breast self-examination.