Visual and practical training increased participation in breast cancer screening

The audiovisual training program prepared for women living in rural areas with limited literacy significantly increased participation in breast cancer screenings and reduced fear related to the disease.

A total of 120 women aged 40–69 participated in the study. Half of the participants attended the training program prepared using video, visual materials, and breast models for 12 weeks, while the other group was followed up with routine information.

After the training, it was observed that a large majority of women in the intervention group turned to screening practices such as breast examination and mammography. The rate of undergoing mammography reached 81.7% in the group that received training, while this rate remained 6.7% in the control group.

The study showed that not only the screening behaviors but also the fear related to breast cancer changed. It was reported that the fear level significantly decreased in women who received visual and practical training. The researchers state that conveying complex health information through video, visual narration, and practical training could provide a significant advantage, especially for groups with limited access to written materials.

The findings suggest that similar trainings could be used in family health centers, rural health services, and midwife-nurse supported community programs. However, due to the study being conducted in a single region and the short follow-up period, the results need to be validated in larger groups.

The study was published in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice.

Article access link:
https://doi.org/10.1111/jep.70387