The Effectiveness of Health Belief Model Initiative in Breast Cancer Screening Behaviors among Women Health Volunteers

Knowledge of screening methods and regular diagnostic tests play an important role in reducing the incidence of cancers and their mortality. We investigated the effectiveness of health belief model initiative in breast cancer screening behaviors among women health volunteers. A quasi-experimental design and non-probability sampling technique was conducted during 2019 in Abhar, Iran. Two out of six health centers were approached and each was recruited in either experimental or control group. Based on the Iranian and standardized version of the Champion's Health Belief Model Scale, the different domains of the scale and breast cancer screening behaviors of eligible women health volunteers (n = 72) were evaluated. Then, seven training sessions were designed and implemented for the intervention group using local language and different educational approaches. The participants were reevaluated according to the same questionnaire three months after the intervention. There was a meaningful difference regarding breast self-exam, knowledge, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, and perceived barriers among both the control and intervention groups before and after the intervention. Training programs using health belief model are crucial in developing breast cancer screening behaviors for women health volunteers. Thus, it is recommended that training programs should be conducted using individual behavioral models.