Effectiveness of Community based Health Education Intervention about Breast Cancer among Women of Reproductive Age Group Residing in Urban Slum Area

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers and a leading cause of death among women worldwide as well as in India. The incidence of breast cancer is rising at an alarming rate with a high number of cases presenting in advanced stages. Aim and ObjectivesTo find out the existing knowledge regarding breast cancer and related health practices and assess the effectiveness of community based educational intervention. Materials and Methods The present study was carried out in the period March to May 2016 and participants included 60 women of reproductive age group belonging to urban slum area of Karad, Maharashtra adopted under Urban Health Centre, Department of Community Medicine, Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences. Educational intervention was provided in the form of group lectures, charts and interactive sessions. Baseline and post-education knowledge was assessed with a self-administered structured questionnaire in the vernacular language. ResultsThe average age of study participants was 29.5 years. Majority (46.67 %) of the females belonged to the age group 25-34 years.78.3 % of the women were educated and 25 % had a monthly family income of greater than Rs.5000, while, females belonging to the joint and nuclear family type were 48.3 % and 46.7 % respectively. Pre-test 26.7 % had knowledge regarding breast cancer which showed a significant increase to 80 % post-test (P