The Project on Breast Cancer Knowledge and Preventive Behaviors Among Female Students at Süleyman Demirel University and the Impact of Education on Breast Cancer and Breast Self-Examination

Start Date:
Our project, beginning on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, one of the two faculties selected from within the university, will continue throughout November and December.

Introduction:
This project is a community contribution initiative titled "Breast Cancer Knowledge and Preventive Behaviors Among Female Students at Süleyman Demirel University and the Impact of Education on Breast Cancer and Breast Self-Examination," supported by the Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of the Republic of Turkey Süleyman Demirel University, project number TSTK-2024-9502. The aim of this project is to increase the level of knowledge about breast cancer among female students at Süleyman Demirel University (SDU), to impart knowledge and skills regarding breast self-examination (BSE), and to assess and improve preventive behaviors against breast cancer through the health belief model.

Project Objectives:

To increase the level of knowledge about breast cancer among female students through educational programs.
To provide knowledge and skills on BSE, which plays a crucial role in early diagnosis, through practical training for female students.
To identify the sub-dimensions affecting (or hindering) preventive behaviors in breast cancer screenings using Champion’s Health Belief Model Scale.
To positively develop the health belief model following breast cancer and BSE education.
Expected Outcomes:
The expected outcome of the project is to have female students with increased awareness about breast cancer. With the knowledge and skills they gain in BSE, they will be able to conduct regular self-examinations and undergo necessary screenings as they age, thereby enabling early diagnosis in the event of possible breast cancer. Early diagnosis in breast cancer, as in other types of cancer, increases the chances of treatment and survival. Therefore, in the long term, the widespread impact of the expected outcome of the project is to ensure that female students with increased awareness about breast cancer and BSE continue to live advantaged lives in terms of early diagnosis and secondary prevention.

Increased awareness among female students will not only lead to secondary protection for themselves but will also have an extended impact on their close environment, helping other women in their families gain awareness about breast cancer.