AUTHOR=Mansoor Noor us Saba , Naveed Safila , Ali Huma , Manzoor Ammara , Zahoor Saima , Sheikh Javeria 

TITLE=Evaluation of a pre-post quasi-experimental educational intervention on breast cancer awareness among pharmacy professionals in Karachi, Pakistan

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1443249

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2024.1443249

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=The major mortality contributor impeding life expectancy is cancer especially Breast cancer, accounting for 11.7% of all cancer cases and causing around 685,000 deaths worldwide in 2020, surpasses lung cancer in prevalence(1). The study aims to evaluate the impact of an educational intervention on breast cancer awareness among pharmacy students by comparing their understanding before and after program.Method: A pre-post-test quasi experimental study was structured to evaluate knowledge and awareness, Breast Self-Examination, and attitude against breast cancer university female students of Karachi, Pakistan. Participants completed pre-session questionnaire, attended awareness workshop and video tutorial, and then completed post-session questionnaire two weeks later.Results: Out of 1200 candidates 1015 completed both pre and post session intervention questionnaires. The highlighted demographic feature was 83.9% in age category 18-24, 26.8% were married and only 14.2% have family history of breast cancer. Before intervention, results showed 60.7% were not involved in regular breast self-exam due to lack of awareness. Postintervention showed rise in awareness from 35.9% to 94.9% use of screen meth from 46.7% to 94.8%. Knowledge of breast cancer rose from 51.2% to 96.7% and general perception improved from 48.2% to 93.4%; attitude towards self-examination also changed positively, with significant shift in perception.The study concludes the baseline knowledge of breast cancer among female students was inadequate, but improved significantly from over 40% to over 90% following the educational intervention. The intervention positively influenced the general perception and attitude towards breast cancer. These findings highlight the need for regular educational sessions to enhance awareness, improve healthcare outcomes, and reduce mortality rate; particularly in developing countries.