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Health information provision, health knowledge and health behaviours: Evidence from breast cancer screening.

ABSTRACT: Many public health interventions aim to provide individuals with health information on the consequences of behaviours such as smoking, alcohol consumption or preventive care use, with the intention of changing health behaviour through better health knowledge. This paper examines whether the provision of health information in organised breast cancer screening programs affects mammography utilisation via changes in health knowledge. We use unique data on 10,610 European women from the Eurobarometer survey collected in 1997/1998, and we exploit variation in the availability and coverage of organised breast cancer screening programs for causal identification in a difference-in-differences design. We find that health information provision improves health knowledge. Yet, these changes in health knowledge had little to no effects on mammography utilisation in the overall population. Our findings imply that health information provision contributes little to health behaviour change. Although screening programs are effective at increasing preventive care use, their effect can be attributed almost entirely to factors other than health knowledge.

SUBMITTER: Eibich P

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7768188 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Health information provision, health knowledge and health behaviours: Evidence from breast cancer screening.

Eibich Peter P Goldzahl Léontine L

Social science & medicine (1982) 20201109

Many public health interventions aim to provide individuals with health information on the consequences of behaviours such as smoking, alcohol consumption or preventive care use, with the intention of changing health behaviour through better health knowledge. This paper examines whether the provision of health information in organised breast cancer screening programs affects mammography utilisation via changes in health knowledge. We use unique data on 10,610 European women from the Eurobaromete ...[more]

PMID: 33218891

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Project description:BACKGROUND:The use of medication abortion is increasing rapidly in India, the majority of which is purchased through pharmacies. More information is needed about the quality of services provided by pharmacist about medication abortion, especially barriers to providing high quality information. The goal of this study was to explore the quality of pharmacist medication abortion provision using mixed methods to inform the developed of an intervention for this population. METHODS:Data was collected via convenience sampling using three methods: a quantitative survey of pharmacists (N?=?283), mystery clients (N?=?111), and in-depth qualitative interviews with pharmacist (N?=?11). Quality indictors from the quantitative data from surveys and mystery clients were compared. Qualitative interviews were used to elucidate reasons behind findings from the quantitative survey. RESULTS:Quality of information provided to client purchasing medication abortion was low, especially related to timing and dosing of misoprostol (18% of pharmacists knew correct timing) and side effects (31% not telling any information on side effects). Mystery clients reported lower quality (less correct information) than pharmacists reported about their own behaviors. Qualitative interviews suggested that many barriers exist for pharmacists, including perceptions about what information clients can understand and desire, and also lack of comfort giving certain information to certain types of clients (young women). CONCLUSIONS:It is essential to improve the quality of information given to client purchasing medication abortion from pharmacists. Our findings highlight specific gaps in knowledge and reasons for poor quality information. Differences in guidelines available at that time from the Indian Government, World Health Organization, and the medication abortion boxes may lead to confusion amongst pharmacists and potentially clients. Interventions need to improve both knowledge about medication abortion and also biases in the provision of care.

Project description:IntroductionFemale breast cancer is currently the most commonly diagnosed cancer globally with an estimated 2.3 million new cases in 2020. Due to its rising frequency and high mortality rate in both high- and low-income countries, breast cancer has become a global public health issue. This review sought to map literature to present evidence on knowledge of breast cancer screening and its uptake among women in Ghana.MethodsFive databases (PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and EMBASE) were searched to identify relevant published studies between January 2012 and August 2021 on knowledge of breast cancer screening and its uptake among women. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension for scoping reviews and the six-stage model by Arksey and O'Malley were used to select and report findings.ResultsOf the 65 articles retrieved, 14 records were included for synthesis. The review revealed varied knowledge levels and practices of breast cancer screening among women across a few regions in Ghana. The knowledge level of women on breast cancer screening was high, especially in breast cancer screening practice. Breast cancer screening practice among women was observed to be low and the most identified barriers were lack of technique to practice breast self-examination, having no breast problem, lack of awareness of breast cancer screening, and not having breast cancer risk. The results further showed that good knowledge of breast cancer screening, higher educational level, increasing age, physician recommendation, and household monthly income were enabling factors for breast cancer screening uptake.ConclusionThis review showed varied discrepancies in breast cancer screening uptake across the regions in Ghana. Despite the benefits of breast cancer screening, the utilization of the screening methods across the regions is very low due to some varied barriers from the different regions. To increase the uptake of breast cancer screening, health workers could employ various strategies such as community education and sensitization on the importance of breast cancer screening.

Project description:BackgroundBreast cancer (BC) is the leading malignant tumor among women worldwide. Although attending regular BC screening effectively reduces cancer-related mortality, surveys testify that screening knowledge is critically low among women. We aimed to conduct a comparative cross-sectional survey to assess BC and BC screening-related knowledge in Hungary.MethodsWomen between 25 and 65 years of age without a previous history of malignant tumors were included with non-probability sampling in 2017. Respondents were recruited either from primary care (laywomen) or from the waiting rooms of mammography (screening attendees). A self-completion questionnaire was constructed with questions about BC (risk factors, signs and symptoms, curability, and mortality), BC screening (mammography and breast self-examination), and BC-related information sources to assess knowledge among laywomen and screening attendees. In addition to descriptive statistics, odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated in univariate analysis and logistic regression was used in multivariate analysis.ResultsAltogether, 480 women completed the questionnaire, of which 429 (227 laywomen and 202 screening attendees) were eligible for inclusion. Laywomen and screening attendees knew the recommended age at first mammography in 35.2% and 86.6%, the recommended frequency of screening in 33.9% and 12.9%, the recommended age at first breast-self examination in 38.8% and 51.2%, had sufficient knowledge of the risk factors of BC in 7.0% and 5.9%, and that of signs and symptoms of BC in 16.7% and 28.9%, respectively. A higher proportion of screening attendees correctly identified the recommended age of first BC screening correctly than that of laywomen (86.6% vs. 35.2%; p < 0.001). The most popular information sources were television among laywomen and general practitioners or specialists among screening attendees. In multivariate analysis, older age, higher education, and place of residency were significant predictors of the right answers.ConclusionsAlthough knowledge was insufficient in almost all fields of the questionnaire, the most prominent gap was observed concerning risk factors and signs and symptoms of BC both in laywomen and, unexpectedly, screening attendees. Most laywomen were lacking knowledge of screening protocol. These results urge breast health and BC knowledge interventions in Hungary.

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Health information provision, health knowledge and health behaviours: Evidence from breast cancer screening.

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Health information provision, health knowledge and health behaviours: Evidence from breast cancer screening.

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