The effectiveness of a PEN-3 model-based intervention on breast cancer screening knowledge, attitude, and practice among women in bandar abbas

Abstract Today, breast cancer is a major cause of mortality and a major concern about women’s health in the world. This cancer is the most common type among women, which can lead to mortality. The present study aimed to explore the effect of an educational intervention based on the PEN-3 model on women’s participation in breast cancer screening in Bandar Abbas city. This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 186 women visiting comprehensive health centers in Bandar Abbas. Four centers were assigned to intervention ( n = 2) or control ( n = 2) groups. The data collection instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire whose validity (face and content validity) and reliability were substantiated through the test-retest method and Cronbach’s alpha test (0.806). The educational intervention was implemented face to face and online for the intervention group, their husbands and families, and the results were analyzed in SPSS24 using descriptive statistics, paired-samples T-test, independent-samples T-test, and analysis of covariance. The intervention significantly increased the mean scores of knowledge, attitude, enablers, and nurturers in the intervention group compared to the control group ( P < 0.001). Following the intervention, the frequency of breast self-examination ( P < 0.001) and clinical breast examination ( P = 0.003) increased significantly, while mammography uptake showed no significant change ( P = 0.306). The mean age of participants was 35.45 ± 8.24 years, and the majority were married (93.5%). As the present findings showed, education based on PEN-3 model can be useful and effective in promoting breast cancer screening behaviors.