Lay Health Worker's Project Northern Ireland Breast Screening Evaluation Group

Author(s): Jenny Gingles
Document Type: Report
Year: 1996
Publisher: Health Promotion Agency (N.I.)
Place of Publication: Belfast
Subject Area(s): Health, Health Services
Client Group(s) : Women

Abbreviations: NI - Northern Ireland

Background to the Research

  • In NI, a high quality breast screening unit is now in place for women aged between 50 and 64. But not all women are taking up the invitation to use it. The aim of the breast screening programme is that 75% of women aged 50-64 should attend, but the uptake rate throughout NI in 1993 was only 62% and in North and West Belfast it was 40-50% for the first screening examination and fell even lower when women were invited back three years later for their second screening examination.
  • Many methods have been used to try to increase uptake rates and the use of lay health workers has been seen as increasingly important. It was decided, therefore, to ask a lay health workers' group if they would take part in a pilot project on breast screening and to help to evaluate this type of work.
  • The Community Health Information Workers is a group of women based in the Springfield Action Team (Highfield, Springmartin, Turf Lodge, Gortnamona, New Barnsley, Dermot Hill and Ballymurphy), in North and West Belfast.

Research Approach

  • Seven community health information workers visited the breast screening centre in Belfast, and undertook a short informal training session. Following this they organised an information session on breast cancer and breast screening for women in their own local women's groups.
  • Using self-completed questionnaire responses, evaluation was undertaken to assess knowledge and attitudes before and after the information session among seventy-six women from five women's groups, the 'study' group.
  • A 'comparison' group of seventy-five women from other areas filled similar questionnaires but were not offered an information session.
  • The findings were based on questionnaire responses from women in the study group and women in the comparison group.

Main Findings

  • Women in both the study and comparison groups were enthusiastic to learn more about breast cancer and breast screening and felt that these were appropriate topics for women's groups to discuss.
  • Filling in the questionnaire stimulated the women from both the study and comparison groups to talk about breast cancer and breast screening to many people. Women in the study group were significantly more likely to talk about breast cancer and screening to other people (training five group leaders led to 46 women talking to 237 people).
  • In general, the study increased knowledge about the screening service and breast cancer in both the study and comparison groups. Significant changes in knowledge were recorded in the study group women in relation to the age at which women are invited for screening, how often screening should be carried out, the importance of specific signs of breast cancer, the importance of screening and the location of the screening centre.

Conclusions

  • This study showed that lay health workers, following a short informal training session, can effectively spread information about breast cancer and breast screening services to women in the community.
  • In view of the interest in these issues expressed by women in this study, it is recommended that this approach should be considered in other areas where increased uptake of breast screening services is desirable.
 

Home | About ORB | Contact


Disclaimer: © ORB 2001Wednesday, 26-Mar-2003 16:13