Introduction: Breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers among women. Early detection of breast cancer has an important role on prevention. Breast self-examination is a simple method for early diagnose of breast cancer. Several factors affect on breast self examination. The self efficacy is an important predictor factor to make decision for doing health behaviors. The purpose of this study was to determine the self efficacy in women about breast self-examination and its relationship with health behavior change based on transtheoretical model.
Methods: This cross sectional and descriptive analytical study carried out among 203 married women who referred to health centers of Tehran, Iran in 2011. Data were collected using a research made questionnaire included demographic data, self efficacy construct and the stages of change scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 16, chi-square, independent t-test, spearman correlation and logistic regression tests. P value less than 0.05 was considered significant.
Results: There was no significant relationship between women’s education and doing breast self-examination (p=0.65), but the relationship between job status and the stage of breast self-examination change of was significant (p<0.018); such that the probability of doing breast self-examination was 2.64 times more in housewives than employed women. Also, there was a significant correlation between women’s self efficacy and the stages of breast self-examination (p<0.001) and the probability of doing breast self-examination was higher in women who had more self efficacy, 1.17 times more than other ones.
Conclusion: The breast self examination increases in women when their self efficacy improves.