Introduction: Health Belief Model is a comprehensive model in helping prevent diseases. According to this method, individuals who get sensitive to breast cancer are more motivated for a regular self-breast examination. Considering the 24 % of breast cancer in Iran placing the third leading cause of death in women, the present study was carried out to investigate the impact of teaching two methods of self-examination, based on health belief model, on knowledge, attitude and performance of school teachers in Zahedan.
Materials and Method: In this quasi –experimental study, the impact of two education methods (lecture & simulation) was investigated on knowledge, attitude (HBM) and performance as pretest and posttest on 100 school teachers in a multi-stage random sampling with inclusion criteria of at least 25 years of age, without a family history of breast cancer, and majoring in fields unrelated to medicine on Zahedan school teachers in 2008-2009’. Data were collected via standardized Champion questionnaire designed based on Health Belief Model and, then, analyzed applying SPSS V.15 and T paired, T students, correlation Pearson and, linear regression tests.
Results: Changes of knowledge, attitude (HBM) and performance mean scores obtained by paired T- test was significant in the both groups. However, between the two groups, only the performance mean score of the two groups was significantly different. Perceived severity Structures and self-efficacy showed a direct association with performance, while perceived barriers were inversely associated with performance. The only predictive variable of effective learning based on linear regression was health motivation.
Conclusion: The current study confirmed efficacy of health belief model on promotion behavior of self-breast examination. Therefore, this model can eliminate barriers which lower self-efficacy in breast cancer and self-breast examination. It also provides a motivation in learning self-breast examination.