Breast self-examination in the primary care setting.

Very little is known about breast self-examination (BSE), a health practice that has been found to be associated with better clinical and pathological breast cancer outcomes. Using data obtained from a sample of 260 women frequenting three primary care centers, this study investigates rates of BSE and how such rates are affected by social and medical factors. Results indicate that BSE practices are influenced to some extent by a woman's race and level of education, while they are significantly affected by her religion. In contrast, there was no evidence to suggest that a woman's knowledge of breast cancer risk factors, or her own level of risk for the disease, affect the extent to which she is likely to self-examine. These findings suggest the need to confirm these social influences on BSE practice using a larger, population based sample. Moreover, the values and attitudes affecting differential rates of BSE performance should be further investigated.