Chehab Rim, Abboud Rimla, Bou Zeidan Mariane, Eid Chelsy, Gerges Giovanni, Attieh Cecile Z, Btadini Said, Kazma Dana O, Bou Chahine El Chalouhi Sophia M, Abi Haidar Mohammad, Abdulaal Maram M, Maatouk Ralph, Maatouk Karen, El Khoury Sarah, Nassar Malek N, El Asmar Béchara, Chahine Mirna N
Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Hadath P.O. Box 3, Lebanon.
Faculty of Medicine & Medical Sciences, University of Balamand, Koura Campus, Tripoli P.O. Box 100, Lebanon.
Healthcare (Basel). 2024 Dec 3;12(23):2422. doi: 10.3390/healthcare12232422.
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Women's health represents an integral component of public health. With breast cancer being the first worldwide and cervical cancer the fourth most common cancer among women, and while habits of intimate hygiene remain mediocre, it is crucial to address these issues. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a community-based intervention on the knowledge and preventive measures (K&P) of women toward breast cancer, cervical cancer, and intimate hygiene.
This longitudinal multicentric prospective interventional study was conducted on women residing in Lebanon aged 18-83 years old. The awareness sessions took place either in person or online to address these three topics, covering the eight governorates of Lebanon. Our sample included women both from the general population and from Order of Malta Lebanon (OML)'s centers and mobile medical units. A stratified randomized sampling method was implemented using age and governorates. Women were interviewed before (pre-test) and after (post-test) the awareness session. The K&P score and the improvement post-intervention were represented in a function of all the study variables. A ˂ 0.05 was found statistically significant.
A total of 657 women, with the majority being nonsmokers and having a bachelor's degree as their highest level of education, completed surveys before and after the intervention, showcasing a significant overall K&P mean score improvement of 50.48% in the pre- vs. post-test (an average score of 22.01 ± 5.95 over 38 (57.93% of correct answers) vs. 33.12 ± 3.41 over 38 (89.58% of correct answers), respectively, < 0.001). A significant difference was also noted between pre- and post-test ( < 0.001) in each of the three topics individually, with improvements of 52.39% for breast cancer, 60.00% for cervical cancer, and 22.27% for intimate hygiene.
National awareness campaigns are key to shedding light on breast and cervical cancer matters and improving women's reproductive health and intimate hygiene in Lebanon. Addressing the knowledge gaps and promoting early screening and healthy habits through national public health policies can empower women to protect their health and well-being.
背景/目的：女性健康是公共卫生的重要组成部分。乳腺癌是全球女性中最常见的癌症，宫颈癌是第四大常见癌症，而女性私密卫生习惯仍不尽人意，因此解决这些问题至关重要。我们旨在评估一项基于社区的干预措施对女性关于乳腺癌、宫颈癌和私密卫生的知识及预防措施（K&P）的效果。
这项纵向多中心前瞻性干预研究针对居住在黎巴嫩的18 - 83岁女性进行。宣传活动通过线下或线上方式开展，涉及黎巴嫩的八个省份，涵盖这三个主题。我们的样本包括来自普通人群以及黎巴嫩马耳他骑士团（OML）中心和流动医疗单位的女性。采用年龄和省份分层随机抽样方法。在宣传活动之前（预测试）和之后（后测试）对女性进行访谈。K&P得分及干预后的改善情况以所有研究变量的函数形式呈现。P < 0.05具有统计学意义。
共有657名女性完成了干预前后的调查，其中大多数为非吸烟者，最高学历为学士学位。预测试与后测试相比，K&P平均得分显著提高了50.48%（分别为38题中平均得22.01 ± 5.95分（正确答案占57.93%）和38题中33.12 ± 3.41分（正确答案占89.58%），P < 0.001）。在这三个主题各自的预测试和后测试之间也发现了显著差异（P < 0.001），乳腺癌方面提高了52.39%，宫颈癌方面提高了60.00%，私密卫生方面提高了22.27%。
全国性宣传活动对于提高黎巴嫩女性对乳腺癌和宫颈癌问题的认识以及改善其生殖健康和私密卫生至关重要。通过国家公共卫生政策解决知识差距并促进早期筛查和健康习惯，可以增强女性保护自身健康和福祉的能力。
