Abstract

As part of the evaluation of a class teaching breast self examination (BSE), a sample of women were interviewed shortly before they were invited to attend the class and again one year later. A comparable sample in a different "control" district were interviewed twice in the same way. The interviewers inquired about the practice of breast self examination (BSE) and about beliefs about breast cancer. The findings enable changes in behaviour and beliefs among those who attended and did not attend the class and among women in the control district during the same year to be compared. Women who attended the class showed a more pronounced improvement in BSE practice compared with non-attenders and with the control group. The improvement was in BSE technique rather than the frequency with which it was carried out.