Factors Related to Breast Self-Examination Behavior of Woman Aged 30-70 Years at Public Health Service Center 2 (Suan Yai)

Abstract

         This research study aimed to examine the relationship between personal factors, predisposing factors, enabling factors, reinforcing factors, and the self-breast examination behavior of women aged 30-70 years within the responsibility area of Public Health Center 2 (Suan Yai), Nonthaburi Municipality. Research samples were selected by stratified random sampling. Research instruments were the questionnaire. The reliability analyzed by the KR-20 was 0.85, and the Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient scores of perceived benefits, perceived barriers, perceived self-efficacy, enabling factors and reinforcing factors were 0.73, 0.70, 0.71, 0.74 and 0.75 respectively. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics including frequency distribution, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. Inferential statistics included the Chi-square test.
        The findings revealed as follows: 1) Most samples had moderate levels of knowledge and perception in all areas, including knowledge about breast cancer and self-breast examination, perceived benefits of self-breast examination, perceived barriers to self-breast examination, and perceived self-efficacy in performing self-breast examinations. 2) Enabling factors regarding the convenience of performing self-breast examinations was at a high level 3) Reinforcing factor as receiving social support related to breast cancer and self-breast examination was at a low level. 4)The samples regularly performed self-breast examinations or had a frequency of self-breast examinations of once a month or more, 30.63%. 5) Age, education level, occupation, knowledge and reinforcing factors had a statistically significant relationship with self-breast examination behavior (p<0.05). It is recommended that there should be a plan to promote regular and comprehensive self-breast examination practices among women in the area.