Ahmadian Maryam, Carmack Suzie, Samah Asnarulkhadi Abu, Kreps Gary, Saidu Mohammed Bashir
Center for Health and Risk Communication, George Mason University, Fairfax, USA E-mail :
Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2016;17(3):1277-84. doi: 10.7314/apjcp.2016.17.3.1277.
Early detection is a critical part of reducing the burden of breast cancer and breast selfexamination (BSE) has been found to be an especially important early detection strategy in low and middle income countries such as Malaysia. Although reports indicate that Malaysian women report an increase in BSE activity in recent years, additional research is needed to explore factors that may help to increase this behavior among Southeastern Asian women.
This study is the first of its kind to explore how the predicting variables of self-efficacy, perceived barriers, and body image factors correlate with self-reports of past BSE, and intention to conduct future breast self-exams among female students in Malaysia.
Through the analysis of data collected from a prior study of female students from nine Malaysian universities (n=842), this study found that self-efficacy, perceived barriers and specific body image sub-constructs (MBSRQ-Appearance Scales) were correlated with, and at times predicted, both the likelihood of past BSE and the intention to conduct breast self-exams in the future.
Self-efficacy (SE) positively predicted the likelihood of past self-exam behavior, and intention to conduct future breast self-exams. Perceived barriers (BR) negatively predicted past behavior and future intention of breast self-exams. The body image sub-constructs of appearance evaluation (AE) and overweight preoccupation (OWP) predicted the likelihood of past behavior but did not predict intention for future behavior. Appearance orientation (AO) had a somewhat opposite effect: AO did not correlate with or predict past behavior but did correlate with intention to conduct breast self-exams in the future. The body image sub-constructs of body area satisfaction (BASS) and self-classified weight (SCW) showed no correlation with the subjects' past breast self-exam behavior nor with their intention to conduct breast self-exams in the future.
Findings from this study indicate that both self-efficacy and perceived barriers to BSE are significant psychosocial factors that influence BSE behavior. These results suggest that health promotion interventions that help enhance self-efficacy and reduce perceived barriers have the potential to increase the intentions of Malaysian women to perform breast self-exams, which can promote early detection of breast cancers. Future research should evaluate targeted communication interventions for addressing self-efficacy and perceived barriers to breast self-exams with at-risk Malaysian women. and further explore the relationship between BSE and body image.
早期发现是减轻乳腺癌负担的关键部分，而乳房自我检查（BSE）已被发现是马来西亚等低收入和中等收入国家特别重要的早期发现策略。尽管报告显示马来西亚女性近年来进行乳房自我检查的活动有所增加，但仍需要更多研究来探索可能有助于增加东南亚女性这种行为的因素。
本研究首次探讨自我效能感、感知障碍和身体形象因素等预测变量如何与马来西亚女学生过去乳房自我检查的自我报告以及未来进行乳房自我检查的意愿相关联。
通过对之前从马来西亚九所大学的女学生（n = 842）收集的数据进行分析，本研究发现自我效能感、感知障碍和特定的身体形象子结构（MBSRQ - 外貌量表）与过去乳房自我检查的可能性以及未来进行乳房自我检查的意愿相关联，并有时能预测这些情况。
自我效能感（SE）积极预测过去自我检查行为的可能性以及未来进行乳房自我检查的意愿。感知障碍（BR）消极预测过去乳房自我检查行为以及未来意愿。外貌评价（AE）和超重关注（OWP）的身体形象子结构预测过去行为的可能性，但不预测未来行为的意愿。外貌取向（AO）有相反的效果：AO与过去行为不相关或不预测过去行为，但与未来进行乳房自我检查的意愿相关。身体区域满意度（BASS）和自我分类体重（SCW）的身体形象子结构与受试者过去乳房自我检查行为以及未来进行乳房自我检查的意愿均无相关性。
本研究结果表明，自我效能感和乳房自我检查的感知障碍都是影响乳房自我检查行为的重要社会心理因素。这些结果表明，有助于提高自我效能感和减少感知障碍的健康促进干预措施有可能增加马来西亚女性进行乳房自我检查的意愿，从而促进乳腺癌的早期发现。未来的研究应评估针对有风险的马来西亚女性解决乳房自我检查的自我效能感和感知障碍的针对性沟通干预措施，并进一步探索乳房自我检查与身体形象之间的关系。
