Breast awareness mobile apps for health education and promotion for breast cancer

BackgroundLack of knowledge, poor awareness, and attitude are barriers to breast cancer (BC) screening participation. The ubiquitous usage of mobile phones makes it a perfect platform for delivering interventions to increase knowledge and awareness in screening, a strategy for early identification o...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Azlina Yusuf, Yulita Hanum P. Iskandar, Imi Sairi Ab Hadi, Arryana Nasution, Soon Lean Keng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2022-10-01
Series:Frontiers in Public Health
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.951641/full
_version_ 1798030182086344704
author Azlina Yusuf
Yulita Hanum P. Iskandar
Imi Sairi Ab Hadi
Arryana Nasution
Soon Lean Keng
author_facet Azlina Yusuf
Yulita Hanum P. Iskandar
Imi Sairi Ab Hadi
Arryana Nasution
Soon Lean Keng
author_sort Azlina Yusuf
collection DOAJ
description BackgroundLack of knowledge, poor awareness, and attitude are barriers to breast cancer (BC) screening participation. The ubiquitous usage of mobile phones makes it a perfect platform for delivering interventions to increase knowledge and awareness in screening, a strategy for early identification of BC. However, although numerous applications for BC prevention are available on major mobile phone platforms, relatively few have been tested in scientific studies to determine their efficacy.ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the efficacy of BrAware Apps in increasing the knowledge of BC risk factors, awareness of warning signs and confidence in breast self-examination (BSE) among women in northeast peninsular Malaysia.MethodsA quasi-experimental pre and post-test research design were conducted with 41 women participants in Kelantan, Malaysia, before and after using the BrAware apps. Participants were given an online, adapted Breast Cancer Awareness Measure questionnaire. Post-test was 2 months after using the BrAware apps. Comparison using paired T-tests were conducted to evaluate the change in knowledge of risk factors, warning signs awareness and confidence level for BSE.ResultsThe mean age of women was 39.71(SD = 8.80). The participants' mean knowledge score of BC warning signs differs before using BrAware (mean 70.62, SD 11.74) and after using the BrAware app (mean 79.83, SD 10.15) at the <0.001 level of significance.ConclusionsThe BrAware mobile app had a positive effect in increasing the women's knowledge of risk factors of BC, warning signs awareness and confidence level for BSE. It can be concluded that the mobile app may be an adjunct in educating women on BC.
first_indexed 2024-04-11T19:37:08Z
format Article
id doaj.art-3ea1875da5f24fcdb53f98c354cb8a6e
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2296-2565
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-11T19:37:08Z
publishDate 2022-10-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Public Health
spelling doaj.art-3ea1875da5f24fcdb53f98c354cb8a6e2022-12-22T04:06:50ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652022-10-011010.3389/fpubh.2022.951641951641Breast awareness mobile apps for health education and promotion for breast cancerAzlina Yusuf0Yulita Hanum P. Iskandar1Imi Sairi Ab Hadi2Arryana Nasution3Soon Lean Keng4School of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, MalaysiaGraduate School of Business, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, MalaysiaDepartment of Surgery, Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II, Kota Bharu, MalaysiaSchool of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, MalaysiaSchool of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, MalaysiaBackgroundLack of knowledge, poor awareness, and attitude are barriers to breast cancer (BC) screening participation. The ubiquitous usage of mobile phones makes it a perfect platform for delivering interventions to increase knowledge and awareness in screening, a strategy for early identification of BC. However, although numerous applications for BC prevention are available on major mobile phone platforms, relatively few have been tested in scientific studies to determine their efficacy.ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the efficacy of BrAware Apps in increasing the knowledge of BC risk factors, awareness of warning signs and confidence in breast self-examination (BSE) among women in northeast peninsular Malaysia.MethodsA quasi-experimental pre and post-test research design were conducted with 41 women participants in Kelantan, Malaysia, before and after using the BrAware apps. Participants were given an online, adapted Breast Cancer Awareness Measure questionnaire. Post-test was 2 months after using the BrAware apps. Comparison using paired T-tests were conducted to evaluate the change in knowledge of risk factors, warning signs awareness and confidence level for BSE.ResultsThe mean age of women was 39.71(SD = 8.80). The participants' mean knowledge score of BC warning signs differs before using BrAware (mean 70.62, SD 11.74) and after using the BrAware app (mean 79.83, SD 10.15) at the <0.001 level of significance.ConclusionsThe BrAware mobile app had a positive effect in increasing the women's knowledge of risk factors of BC, warning signs awareness and confidence level for BSE. It can be concluded that the mobile app may be an adjunct in educating women on BC.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.951641/fullmobile phone appsbreast cancerearly detection of breast cancerbreast self-examinationknowledgeawareness
spellingShingle Azlina Yusuf
Yulita Hanum P. Iskandar
Imi Sairi Ab Hadi
Arryana Nasution
Soon Lean Keng
Breast awareness mobile apps for health education and promotion for breast cancer
Frontiers in Public Health
mobile phone apps
breast cancer
early detection of breast cancer
breast self-examination
knowledge
awareness
title Breast awareness mobile apps for health education and promotion for breast cancer
title_full Breast awareness mobile apps for health education and promotion for breast cancer
title_fullStr Breast awareness mobile apps for health education and promotion for breast cancer
title_full_unstemmed Breast awareness mobile apps for health education and promotion for breast cancer
title_short Breast awareness mobile apps for health education and promotion for breast cancer
title_sort breast awareness mobile apps for health education and promotion for breast cancer
topic mobile phone apps
breast cancer
early detection of breast cancer
breast self-examination
knowledge
awareness
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.951641/full
work_keys_str_mv AT azlinayusuf breastawarenessmobileappsforhealtheducationandpromotionforbreastcancer
AT yulitahanumpiskandar breastawarenessmobileappsforhealtheducationandpromotionforbreastcancer
AT imisairiabhadi breastawarenessmobileappsforhealtheducationandpromotionforbreastcancer
AT arryananasution breastawarenessmobileappsforhealtheducationandpromotionforbreastcancer
AT soonleankeng breastawarenessmobileappsforhealtheducationandpromotionforbreastcancer