A Psychoeducational Intervention for Breast Cancer Screening Methods and Healthy Lifestyles for University Students and Their Families

Background. In Mexico, cancer is a public health problem that represents the second leading cause of death among those aged 20 years, three out of ten women with cancer suffer from breast cancer, and most women are of reproductive age at the time of diagnosis, which affects the socioeconomic well-being of families. Objective: This study was to evaluate the effects of a psychoeducational intervention on breast cancer screening methods beliefs and healthy lifestyle in university women and their families. Materials and methods: A post-test pretest design was used, in which 42 university students participated who received a psychoeducational intervention of 3 sessions on methods of breast cancer detection and healthy due style and who in turn shared the information with their relatives (n = 28). Results: significant differences were found in the group of university students in perceived seriousness (z=-1.95, p=.047, d= 0.48), perceived self-efficacy (z=-3.62, p=.001, d= 2.5) and physical activity (z=-3.18, p=.001, d=1.8). In the relatives there were also significant differences in the posttest in susceptibility (z=-2.31, p=.021, d= 0.82), perceived seriousness (z =-2.30, p=.021, d= 0.98), perceived self-efficacy (z = -2.37, p=.018, d=1.51) and motivation for health (z = -2.30, p=.021, d=1.10). Conclusion: Psychoeducational intervention can improve beliefs about cancer and its screening methods in college students and their families, so it can be used as a strategy to extend the promotion of breast screening methods and healthy lifestyle.