Hanan Elzeblawy Hassan^1,, Sahar Gamal Zaki², Fatma Saber Nady³

Background: Breast cancer affects women in a multifaceted way, affecting every part of their lives both before and after treatment. Patients with breast cancer communicate significant, unfulfilled requirements for information, education, and assistance to enhance their quality of life and lessen their pain impairment. Preventive screening measures greatly aid in the early detection of breast cancer and the reduction of mortality rates. Aim: The current study was conducted to evaluate the effect of an educational program on female workers’ knowledge about breast cancer preventive measures at Beni-Suef University. Subjects and Methods: Design: An interventional quasi-experimental design. Sample &Settings: A purposive sample of 323 working women at Beni-Suef University was selected. Tools: (1) A structured Interviewing Questionnaire Sheet to assess women's knowledge about breast cancer, breast self-examination, and breast cancer preventive measures. (2) Health Belief Model Questionnaire. (3) Breast Cancer Preventive Measures Checklist. (4) Supportive material (Arabic booklet). Results: It clarifies that there is a statistically significant improvement in the female worker’s all sub-items and total beliefs regarding breast cancer and its preventive measures as measured by the health belief model after the health education program, as the total score increases from 150.19±21.68 pre-HBM application to 226.51±32.83after the educational program, p≤0.01. Marked improvement in female workers’ total preventive measures level after program implementation, 18.6% of the female workers who had adequate practice with pretest compared to 91.6% who had adequate practice with posttest. A marked improvement in female workers’ total practice level regarding breast self-examination after program implementation, as (9.9%) of the female workers have adequate practice pretest and improved to (87.9%) posttest. Conclusion: the results showed the effect of health education programs on the improvement in practice of all sub-items for breast self-examination. Recommendations: Design and disseminate brochures work on the breast self-examination, preventive measures of breast cancer.

Educational program, Knowledge, Breast Cancer, Preventive Measures