Effect Of Video Assisted Teaching Programme On Knowledge Regarding Breast Self Examination Among Famale College Students

Breast self-examination is the screening method used in an attempt to detect early breast disorders. The term Breast Self Examination itself means that the woman herself looking at and feeling each breast for possible lumps, distortions, or other breast changes¹. The major factors leading to breast disorders are being female, increase in age, personal history of breast conditions, family history, radiation exposure, obesity, etc².

Most women experience breast changes at some time. Such changes may cause lumps, bumps, and lesions. Breast problems usually are benign such as fibrocystic changes, cysts, and fibro adenomas. Benign lesions of the breast are much more common than malignant lesions².

Epidemiological studies show that breast cancer is the most frequent cancer among women impacting.1million women each year and also causes the greatest cancer-related death among women³. By 2030 the study shows that breast disorders especially breast cancer is predicted to rise by 50%⁴.

Breast self-exam, or regularly examining your breasts on your own, can be an important way to find breast cancer early when it's more likely to be treated successfully. While no single test can detect all breast cancers early, performing breast self-exam in combination with other screening methods can increase the odds of early detection⁵.

Breast self-examination is a useful and important screening tool, especially when used in combination with regular physical exams by a doctor, mammography, and in some cases ultrasound and/or MRI⁵. Each of these screening tools works in a different way and has strengths and weaknesses, Breast self-exam is a convenient, no-cost tool that you can use on a regular basis and at any age. We recommend that all women routinely perform breast self- exams as part of their overall breast cancer screening strategy⁵.

Breast self-examination (BSE) remains one of the most economical and accessible approaches for promoting breast health awareness among young women, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where access to mammography is limited. Although BSE is not recommended as a stand-alone screening tool, it plays an important role in increasing breast awareness and encouraging women to recognize abnormal breast changes at an early stage. Educational interventions among university students have consistently demonstrated that improved knowledge is associated with better BSE practices⁶.

Recent evidence from Ethiopia reported that only 49.9% of female university students possessed good knowledge regarding breast self-examination. Students with a positive attitude towards BSE, urban residence, and previous exposure to breast cancer were significantly more likely to have adequate knowledge. The authors recommended structured educational programmes to improve awareness among university students ⁷.

Similarly, a study conducted among female university students in Gaza found that although 96.5% of students had heard about breast self-examination, only 31.4% practiced it regularly. Lack of practical knowledge, absence of breast-related symptoms, and busy schedules were identified as major barriers. The researchers emphasized the importance of educational programmes and practical demonstrations to improve regular BSE practice ⁶.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

A study to assess the effect of video-assisted teaching programs on knowledge regarding breast self-examination among college students in selected college at Kottayam.

OBJECTIVES

• To assess the knowledge regarding Breast Self Examination students. among female
• To determine the effect of video-assisted teaching program on knowledge regarding Breast Self Examination among female students.
• To find association between pre-test knowledge regarding Breast Self Examination among female students with selected socio-personal variable

OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS

• Effect: In this study effect refers to the extent to which the video-assisted teaching program has achieved change in the knowledge of the female students regarding Breast Self Examination.
• Knowledge: knowledge refers to the ability of college students to recall and give correct responses to the items related to breast self examination as measured by structured knowledge question.

• Video assisted teaching program: In this study video-assisted teaching program refers to planned teaching session with the help of video for 45 minutes duration regarding Breast Self Examination which consist of anatomy and physiology of breast, factors influencing breast changes diagnostic measures, procedure of Breast Self Examination, reconstructive surgeries used in breast disorders.
• College students: In this study college students refers to females who studying for under graduate programme.

HYPOTHESES

H1: There is a significant difference in knowledge regarding Breast Self Examination after a video-assisted teaching programme among female students.

H2: There is a significant association between knowledge regarding Breast Self Examination with selected socio personal variables

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Research Approach:

The primary objective of the study was to assess the effect of video assisted teaching program on knowledge regarding breast self examination among female students of BCM College at Kottayam district. As the knowledge regarding breast self examination needs to be elaborated descriptively, a quantitative non experimental research approach was adopted.

Research Design:

The research design of a study depicts how the researcher plans to do the study. it is the structural framework for the study implementation. The present study is intended to identify the effect of video assisted teaching program on knowledge regarding breast self examination among female students of BCM College at Kottayam. In order to achieve the objectives of the study, quasi experimental one group pretest post test design was used.

Research variable:

Independent variable: It is an activity that is manipulated by the researcher to create the effect on dependent variable. In this study Video assisted teaching program is the independent variable.

Dependent variable: It is the outcome due to effect of the independent variable In this study Knowledge regarding Breast Self Examination is the dependent variable.

Socio personal variable Age, educational status of parents and history of any hormonal treatment, previous knowledge regarding breast self examination.

Setting:

The study was conducted in BCM College at Kottayam.

Population and Sample:

Sample is a representative unit of targeted population. In this study sample includes 30 female students from Family and Community Health Science Department.

CRITERIA FOR SAMPLE SELECTION

Inclusion Criteria:

The Inclusion criteria for the study are:-

• College students who are willing to participate in the study.
• Students who are studying degree program who are present at the time of study.

Exclusion Criteria:

Students who are not willing to participate.

Description of the tool

Tool 1: Socio personal data

A questionnaire was used for assessing the socio personal data of female students in BCM college Kottayam. Socio personal data of sample comprised of age, educational status of mother, educational status of father, relationship with health care professionals in family, previous exposure to knowledge regarding BSE, history of breast disorders in family or among relatives and hormonal treatment.

Tool 2: Structured Knowledge Questionnaire

The structured knowledge questionnaire consist of 24 items to identify the effect of video assisted teaching program on knowledge regarding breast self examination.

• Good
• Average
• Poor

Data Collection:

The research study was started after getting ethical clearance and formal permission from principal of Thiruhrudaya College of Nursing Kottayam and BCM College Kottayam. The samples who met the inclusion criteria were selected using consecutive non probability sampling technique.

The investigators explained the purpose of the study to the participants and obtained informed consents before the commencement of the study. The confidentiality of their identity and response was assured to the subjects in order to ensure their cooperation and prompt response. Data was collected by using structured knowledge questionnaire. The total time taken for the collection of data was 45 minutes.

Analysis:

The data collected from 30 subjects were organized, tabulated and analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics based on objectives.

• Frequency distribution and percentage was done to analyze selected variables and knowledge regarding Breast Self-Examination.
• Association of knowledgeregarding Breast Self-Examination with selected sociopersonal variables were analyzed by using chi-square test.

Section -1:  Socio personal data of college students.

Table - 1: Distribution of Samples based on Socio - demographic variables ( n=30)

Among the 30 participants, majority (66.6%) belongs to the age group of 20 and above. It was also found that33.4% belong to the age group of 19-20 years. Regarding the educational status of mothers 46.6% having higher secondary level of education, 40% having degree and above and remaining 13.4% educated up to school level. Regarding the educational status of fathers, 33.4% belongs to school level education Among the total participants, 66.6% did not have any health care professionals in family and remaining 33.4% have health care professionals in family. Most of the college students (86.6%) doesn't have previous BSE experience and remaining 13.4% of college students have previous BSE experience. Considering the previous exposure to knowledge regarding BSE, 63.4% did not have previous exposure to knowledge and 36.6% have previous exposure to knowledge on BSE. More than half of college students (83.4%) were not having any family history of breast disorders remaining 16.6% had family history of breast disorders. Among the total participants most of the college students (96.6%) doesn't have any history of hormonal treatment and only 3.3% had history of hormonal treatment.

Section - 2: Knowledge of college students regarding Breast Self Examination

Table - 2: Pretest knowledge of college students regarding Breast Self Examination

Table 2 Shows that 86% of the college students had average knowledge regarding Breast Self Examination and 13.4% had poor knowledge. None of them were having good knowledge regarding BSE

Table - 3: Post test knowledge of college students regarding Breast Self Examination

Table 3 Shows that 86.6% had good knowledge regarding Breast Self Examination.13.4% had average knowledge and  none of them were having poor knowledge regarding BSE

Section - 3: Effectiveness video assisted teaching program on Breast Self Examination

*significant at 0.001 level.

Table - 4: effect of video assisted teaching programme on knowledge regarding Breast Self Examination among female college students. (n=30)

The data in table 11 shows that the obtained t value is highly significant at 0.001 level. Hence there is a significant difference of knowledge regarding BSE among college students after VIDEO assisted teaching programme and the null hypothesis is rejected.

Section – 4: Association between pre test knowledge and selected socio- personal variables

Table - 5: Frequency distribution and chi square value of knowledge regarding Breast self Examination of female college students with age (n=30)