Awareness of breast cancer screening and health beliefs in visually impaired women: A descriptive cross-sectional study

Abstract

Breast cancer ranks first among cancers affecting women and continues to be an important public health problem for both Türkiye and the world. Visually impaired women are among the risk groups for breast cancer due to the difficulties they experience in accessing health services and limitations in accessing information. However, studies examining the health beliefs and awareness levels of this specific group regarding breast cancer are limited in the literature. This study was conducted to determine the health beliefs of visually impaired women regarding breast cancer awareness. The study was descriptive and cross-sectional in design, and data were collected through self-reported telephone interviews with 90 visually impaired women who were members of an association using a convenience sampling method.  A personal information form and Champion’s Health Belief Model Scale were used as data collection tools. Descriptive statistical methods were used in the analysis of the obtained data. When the subscales were examined, the mean score for perceived susceptibility was 7.23±2.20 (low), perceived seriousness was 17.1±5.25 (moderate), motivation was 20.8±2.94 (high), breast self-examination (BSE)-perceived benefits was 15.7±2.70 (high), BSE-perceived barriers were 30.1±4.81 (high), BSE-perceived self-efficacy was 27.3±7.76 (moderate), mammography-perceived benefits were 19.9±2.87 (high), and mammography-perceived barriers was 43.3±6.85 (high). This study revealed that the women had low levels of knowledge and practice regarding breast self-examination and breast health screening programs.