Attitudes of midwifery students towards teaching breast-self examination

Abstract

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to asses the attitude of undergraduate midwifery students towards teaching other women in methods of breast self-examination (BSE).Participants and methods.The study was performed at the beginning and at the end of students’ study at the Faculty of Health Sciences in Ljubljana, Slovenia. It was carried out during the academic year 2002/2003 and involved 28 first and 25 third year undergraduate midwifery students. The data were gathered from questionnaires and processed with the use of descriptive and inferential statistics.ResultsAll study participants were of the opinion that teaching other women in methods of BSE is of great importance for an early detection of breast cancer (BC) and that this task ought to be one of their duties. There were no significant differences between the two groups when the readiness to upgrade their own knowledge of BSE or when the optimism regarding the progress in breast cancer detection and therapy in the future were concerned.ConclusionsThe readiness of midwifery students to pass the knowledge of BSE to other women could help to increase their breast health awareness and thus improve their willingness and ability to detect early changes, associated with BC.

Assessment of Midwifery Student Preparation for Performing the Role of Breast Cancer Educator

“…The role of a midwife entails first of all promoting healthy lifestyle and preparation to self-observation in all periods of life to detect early and get rid of all risk factors of cancerous disease (Kyrkjebø and Hage, 2005;Plesnicar et al, 2010;Harhra and Basaleem, 2012). …”

“…This is the case both of European countries, characteristic of high living standards, and the developing ones. An increase in the number of patients suffering from breast cancers is presently observed (Emons and Luiten, 2002;Plesnicar et al, 2010;Bosetti et al, 2012;Yousuf et al, 2012;Avci et al, 2014). Accordingly, breast cancer is the most frequently noted tumor in women in Poland.…”

Early Detection and Prevention of Breast Cancer: The Increasing Importance of Midwives in the Future

“…They are also optimistic in their views of development and efficacy of BC detection and treatment in the future. This sort of attitude toward BC and BSE may have emerged from their specific education and from their inherent motivation to learn as much as possible about clinical, psychological and other problems that affect women with this disease (Plesničar et al, 2004a;Plesničar et al, 2010). All these qualities make them better informed about BC than other women (Budden, 1999;Fischer et al, 2003;Frank et al, 2000;Gigerenzer et al, 2009;Jirojwong & MacLennan, 2002;Plesničar et al, 2004a;Plesničar et al, 2010).…”

“…This sort of attitude toward BC and BSE may have emerged from their specific education and from their inherent motivation to learn as much as possible about clinical, psychological and other problems that affect women with this disease (Plesničar et al, 2004a;Plesničar et al, 2010). All these qualities make them better informed about BC than other women (Budden, 1999;Fischer et al, 2003;Frank et al, 2000;Gigerenzer et al, 2009;Jirojwong & MacLennan, 2002;Plesničar et al, 2004a;Plesničar et al, 2010). It should also be taken into account that due to their specific education and positive attitude toward BSE, midwifery students should be at the end of their study able to teach BSE to other women and perform CBE quite efficiently (Boulos et al, 2005;Miller et al, 2000;Mittra et al, 2010;Plesničar et al, 2004a;Plesničar et al, 2010).…”

“…Europe, 2001), midwifery students at the Faculty of Health Sciences in Ljubljana get a reasonable amount of insight into anatomy, histology and physiology of breasts, as well as into incidence, clinical and pathological characteristics, treatment and mortality of BC. They also learn some of the fundamentals about how to perform breast self-examination (BSE) and clinical breast examination (CBE) (Plesničar et al, 2004a;Plesničar et al, 2010;Stanek Zidarič et al, 2009). As a result, midwifery students have a favourable attitude toward BSE, they are of opinion that teaching BSE helps in detection of BC, and that teaching other women how to practice BSE ought to be one of their duties.…”