Implementation of a Schoola??Based Educational Program to Increase Breast Cancer Awareness and Promote Intergenerational Transmission of Knowledge in a Rural Mexican Community

摘要

Background. Rural women have limited access to breast cancer education, which partially contributes to late diagnosis and treatment. In this pilot study, we tested the feasibility of implementing a schoola??based breast cancer educational program for adolescents in a rural Mexican community. We hypothesized that the adolescentsa?? knowledge on breast cancer would increase as a result of the program, and that there would be intergenerational transmission of that knowledge to their older female relatives. Materials and Methods. Female adolescents from a rural middle school received the educational program. The program would be considered feasible and acceptable if more than 75% reported being satisfied with its contents. Changes in knowledge in the students and their relatives were evaluated using baseline and 4 months followa??up questionnaires. Results. One hundred twentya??six students were enrolled. The program was considered acceptable by 96% of the participants. The studentsa?? knowledge regarding breast cancer increased significantly from baseline to 4 months followa??up (63% to 82%). One hundred ninetya??four female relatives completed the initial knowledge questionnaires. The relativesa?? knowledge regarding breast cancer showed a significant increase from baseline to 4 months followa??up (55% to 61%). Conclusion. Implementing breast cancer educational programs for adolescents in rural communities is feasible and acceptable. The program increased the adolescentsa?? knowledge on breast cancer, and promoted the intergenerational transmission of that knowledge to their female relatives. Intergenerational transmission of knowledge represents a potential method for providing populationa??based health awareness education globally. Implications for Practice. In limiteda??resource settings, education is a valuable tool for achieving early detection and downstaging of breast cancer. Unfortunately, rural women lack access to educational opportunities and information about breast cancer, which is a factor contributing to late diagnosis and treatment. In this study, we demonstrated that implementing a schoola??based breast cancer educational program for female adolescents in a rural Mexican community was feasible, acceptable, and increased their knowledge about breast cancer. Furthermore, the program encouraged the transmission of information to the studentsa?? older relatives. Intergenerational transmission of knowledge represents a novel and potentially effective tool in cancer education and promotion.