IMPROVING BREAST SELF-EXAMINATION COMPLIANCE - A SOUTHWEST-ONCOLOGY-GROUP RANDOMIZED TRIAL OF 3 INTERVENTIONS

Background. Only 20-40% of U.S. women conduct breast self-examination (BSE). This Southwest est Oncology Group experimental study compared t he impact of three interventions on BSE compliance. Methods. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of three arms: (1) physician message; (2 ) physician message and BSE class; or (3) physician message, BSE class , and reinforcement (phone and postcard). Compliance (frequency and ac curacy) was measured by interview at intake and at 6 months and by pho ne contact at 1 year. Logistic and multiple regression were employed. Results. This analysis included 2,233 subjects hom six institutions. A t 1 year the percentages of women doing BSE were 59, 62, and 18% for A rms 1-3, respectively; gains over intake frequency (27% average) mere significant within each arm (P less than or equal to 0.0001). At both 6 months and 1 year the differences between Arm 1 and Arm 2 average ac curacy scares and the differences between Arm 2 and Arm 3 in the perce ntage of women doing BSE were significant (P less than or equal to 0.0 001). Findings within institutions mere consistent with the overall fi ndings. Conclusions. The addition of a BSE class increased accuracy ov er physician message alone; physician message, BSE class, and reinforc ement gave the highest percentage of women doing BSE. (C) 1997 Academi c Press.