Effects of Health Belief Model based Educational Intervention for Breast Cancer Prevention among Women of Reproductive Age Group (WRA) in Burdwan Municipality, West Bengal, India: A quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer is a leading cause of mortality, with critically low (0.2% in urban areas per NFHS-5) screening rates in India. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of an educational intervention based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) on breast cancer knowledge and screening perceptions among Women of Reproductive Age (WRA) in West Bengal.

METHODOLOGY: A quasi-experimental, single-group pre-test/post-test study was conducted among 435 WRA in the urban slums of Burdwan. Participants (median age 30 years) received four teaching sessions, the intervention per se, each lasting 45-60 minutes. Data on sociodemographic profile, breast cancer knowledge, and HBM domains (susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, cues to action, and self-efficacy) were collected at baseline, one month, and six months post-intervention. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, repeated measure ANOVA and multivariable logistic regression.

RESULT: The educational intervention led to statistically significant improvements across all HBM domains (p<0.001). Multivariable logistic regression showed that women aged ≤ 30 years had significantly higher odds of satisfactory 'cues to action' [aOR= 4.731] and 'perceived benefits' [aOR=10.745], while those > 30 years had lower odds of 'perceived susceptibility' [aOR= 0.052]. Living in a nuclear family was associated with both satisfactory 'susceptibility' [aOR=3.099] and higher 'perceived barriers' [aOR= 2.626]. Higher family income (> Rs.7000/-) was a significant predictor for satisfactory 'self-efficacy' [aOR= 2.684].

CONCLUSION

The HBM-based intervention significantly improved perceptions regarding breast cancer. The findings confirm that sociodemographic factors like age, family type and income are key determinants of health beliefs, providing crucial information for developing tailored interventions to overcome specific barriers.