The Impact of Educational Workshops on Women’s Knowledge Regarding Breast Cancer and Early Detection

Abstract

Background: Breast cancer is a significant public health problem in both developed and developing countries. Early detection is essential to reduce morbidity and mortality due to breast cancer. Aim: The current research aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational workshop on women's knowledge regarding early detection of breast cancer. Method: A study was conducted at Al-Andalus University for Medical Sciences, Tartous, Syria, using a quasi-experimental design. The participants were 70 women selected through convenience sampling. The study used a pretest and posttest design with one group. The workshop consisted of a PowerPoint lecture and a practice session on breast self-examination using a breast model. Questionnaires were administered before and after the workshop to collect data. The collected data was analyzed using the SPSS (version 20) with a significance level set at 0.05. Results: The results of this research indicated a significant difference in the level of knowledge of the participants before and after the workshop. Conclusion: The data showed a statistically significant improvement in their knowledge following the workshop (p < 0.05). According to these findings attending the educational workshops had a positive impact on increasing awareness and knowledge about the early detection of breast cancer.