Peer education project on breast self-examination in Izmir, Turkey.

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to assess undergraduate female student knowledge related to the Peer Education Method and Breast Self-Examination (BSE), to encourage them to refer for screening with certain intervals and to teach them the means of utilizing the health services. Design: The subjects comprised 160 undergraduate female students who were selected by simple random sampling and who accepted to participate. Methods: A survey form, which was prepared under the direction of relative literature by the researcher four 3rd graders of Ege University School of Nursing, was applied to female students. The data collected were assessed after being coded. Findings: The numbers of undergraduate female students performing BSE regularly and their information levels related to the symptoms of breast cancer were found to be very low, but their mean scores for performing BSE after training given by peer guides were increased and the peer group training was found to be effective. Conclusions: From the results we conclude that the training guide was appropriate for transmitting information to university students for peer group education purposes.