Effect of an Educational Program on Enhancing Female Workers’ Health Belief Model of Breast Cancer Preventive Measures

Background: Breast cancer is a prevalent global disease, causing over one million new cases and over 60,000 deaths annually. We developed the health belief model (HBM) to explain health behaviors, such as the use of health services and views on avoiding illness. The model was expanded to include self-efficacy, a person's belief in their ability to act successfully. Aim: to evaluate effect of an educational program on enhancing female workers’ health belief model of breast cancer preventive measures. Subjects and Methods: Design: A quasi-experimental design. Sample and Settings: 323 working women at Beni-Suef University were selected. Tools: The study utilizes a structured interviewing questionnaire, a Health Belief Model Questionnaire, and an Arabic booklet to assess pregnant women's psychological readiness for breast cancer prevention. Results: there was a highly statistically significant improvement in female workers’ health belief regarding to perceived susceptibility, benefits, and self-efficacy during post-test HBM as p≤0.01 in comparison to the pretest. Moreover, there was a statistically significant improvement in female workers’ health belief regarding to perceived seriousness, barriers, and cues to action during post-test HBM as p≤0.01. Conclusion: Based on the findings of the present study, it can be concluded that there was a statistically significant improvement in female workers’ health belief toward all items of HBM including perceived susceptibility, seriousness, benefits, barriers, cues to action, self-efficacy during post implementation program compared to per-implementation. The implemented educational program about health belief model had a positive effect of female workers’ breast cancer preventive measures. Recommendations: Apply health belief model for preventive measures for other types of gynecological cancer.