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.
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