J Korean Soc Radiol.  2013 Dec;69(6):481-486.

Evaluation of Women's Knowledge, Attitude and Behaviors for Breast Cancer Screening in Ulleung Gyeongsangbuk-Do by Survey: Considerations Through a Comparison of Six Other Regions

• Choi SH
• Yoo H
• Shin HJ
• Cha JH
• Kim HH

Abstract

PURPOSE
To evaluate women's knowledge and behaviors regarding breast cancer screening, and considerations for improvement plans in Ulleung-island.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We enrolled 172 female inhabitants who visited the outpatient clinic or received routine check-ups at Ulleung Health Center, had a visiting medical care, and participated in the local fair. The mean age of the participants was 46.9 years (range, 21-81). The questionnaire included the age of the participant, questions on behaviors related to breast cancer screening and knowledge of breast cancer, and perceptions about and opinions on breast cancer screening in Ulleung. We compared these results with those of previous studies performed in six other regions.
RESULTS
45.9% (79 of 172) of the participants had performed a breast self-examination. 59.3% (103 of 172) of the participants had undergone screening mammography. Significantly, many participants had received screening mammography at or older than 40 years of age (p < 0.001). The most frequent reason for breast cancer screening was taking part in a regular check-up (67 of 102, 63.7%), and the most frequent barrier was the difficulty in going to a hospital on the mainland (20 of 70, 28.6%). With regard to knowledge of breast cancer, the mean value of correct answers was 2.1 out of 5.
CONCLUSION
This was the first study to evaluate women's knowledge and behaviors concerning breast cancer screening conducted in an island region of Korea. The findings might be applied to the planning and development of breast cancer screening in island regions.

MeSH Terms

Ambulatory Care Facilities
Breast Neoplasms*
Breast Self-Examination
Breast*
Female
Humans
Korea
Mammography
Mass Screening*
Surveys and Questionnaires
Self-Examination

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