Introduction: Breast self-examination is a vital screening method for early detection of breast disorders. Effective treatment and higher survival rates depend on early discovery. Breast self-examination is an easy, non-invasive, and affordable way for women to identify problems in their breasts and quickly seek medical assistance. The goal is to compare the results of the pretest and post-test knowledge and skills scores to evaluate the efficacy of the planned teaching program on breast self-examination knowledge and abilities among nursing students. Methodology: A quantitative research approach was used. Design: For this study, a pre-experiment one group pre-test post-test research design was used. On June 13, 2025, the pretest knowledge and skills were evaluated. On June 17, 2025, the planned teaching program (PTP) was conducted. On June 24, 2025, the post-test knowledge and skills were evaluated.Sample: A convenient sample of 127 nursing students from a specified School of Nursing. During data collection, the instrument included a baseline demographic proforma, a structured questionnaire to measure knowledge, and an observation checklist to assess abilities. Setting: Apollo School of Nursing, Delhi. The content validation of data collection tool was done by the subject experts. Result: The major findings of the study reveal that out of 127 nursing students, majority of student nurses 64 (50.4%) were in the age group of 20–22 yrs. Most of the students 122 (96.1%) have previous knowledge regarding breast self-examination. A significant difference in pretest and post-test knowledge score was 0.55 and skills score was 7.02 among nursing students at selected School of Nursing after attending planned teaching program on breast self-examination at p = 0.05. Conclusion:Students will become future nurses, and they must provide quality health education to the patient. All institutes should provide knowledge on breast self-examination to all students.

Keywords: Breast self-examination, knowledge and skills, planned teaching program, breast disorder, breast cancer

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1. Abo Al-Shiekh SS, Ibrahim MA, Alajerami YS. Breast cancer knowledge and practice of breast self-examination among female university students, Gaza. Sci Wrld J. 2021 Apr 27;2021:6640324. doi: 10.1155/2021/6640324. PMID: 34007246; PMCID: PMC8100409.
2. Alkhasawneh IM, Akhu-Zaheya LM, Suleiman SM. Jordanian nurses’ knowledge and practice of breast self-examination. J Adv Nurs. 2009 Feb;65(2):412–6. doi: 10.1111/j.1365–2648.2008.04891.x. PMID: 19191939.
3. Al-Naggar RA, Bobryshev YV, Al-Jashamy K. Practice of breast self-examination among women in Malaysia. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2012;13(8):3829–33. doi: 10.7314/apjcp.2012.13.8.3829. PMID: 23098479.
4. Lera T, Beyene A, Bekele B, Abreha S. Breast self-examination and associated factors among women in Wolaita Sodo, Ethiopia: A community-based cross-sectional study. BMC Womn Hlth. 2020 Aug 8;20(1):167. doi: 10.1186/s12905-020-01042-1. PMID: 32770978; PMCID: PMC7414537.
5. Jadhav BN, Abdul Azeez EP, Mathew M, Senthil Kumar AP, Snegha MR, Yuvashree G, et al. Knowledge, attitude, and practice of breast self-examination is associated with general self-care and cultural factors: A study from Tamil Nadu, India. BMC Womn Hlth. 2024 Mar 2;24(1):151. doi: 10.1186/s12905-024-02981-9. PMID: 38431649; PMCID: PMC10909289.
6. Azage M, Abeje G, Mekonnen A. Assessment of factors associated with breast self-examination among health extension workers in West Gojjam Zone, Northwest Ethiopia. Int J Breast Cancer. 2013;2013:814395. doi: 10.1155/2013/814395. PMID: 24298389; PMCID: PMC3835626.
7. Gabriel OE, Ajetunmobi OA, Shabi OM, Elegbede OT, Okere RA, Busari OA, et al. Awareness and practice of self breast examination among female nurses at the Federal Teaching Hospital Ido-Ekiti, Nigeria. J Public Health Afr. 2016 Aug 17;7(1):528. doi: 10.4081/jphia.2016.528. PMID: 28299150; PMCID: PMC5349254.
8. Mihret MS, Gudayu TW, Abebe AS, Tarekegn EG, Abebe SK, Abduselam MA, et al. Knowledge and practice on breast self-examination and associated factors among summer class social science undergraduate female students in the University of Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia. J Cancer Epidemiol. 2021 Apr 9;2021:8162047. doi: 10.1155/2021/8162047. PMID: 33927761; PMCID: PMC8053048.
9. McGuire S. World Cancer Report 2014. Geneva: World Health Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer, WHO Press; 2015. Adv Nutr. 2016 Mar 15;7(2):418–9. doi: 10.3945/an.116.012211. PMID: 26980827; PMCID: PMC4785485.
10. Odusanya OO. Breast cancer: Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of female schoolteachers in Lagos, Nigeria. Breast J. 2001 May–Jun;7(3):171–5. doi: 10.1046/j.1524–4741.1998.410062.x-i1. PMID: 11469930.
11. Pathak P, Bajpai PK, Jaiswal K, Kumar S, Chauhan M, Agarwal T, et al. Impact of health education on knowledge and attitude of self-breast examination among female nursing students. Indian J Commun Hlth. 2022 Sep 30 [cited 2025 Nov 7];34(3):348–51. Available from:

       https://www.iapsmupuk.org/journal/index.php/IJCH/article/view/2361.

12. Pengpid S, Peltzer K. Knowledge, attitude and practice of breast self-examination among female university students from 24 low, middle income and emerging economy countries. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2014;15(20):8637–40. doi: 10.7314/apjcp.2014.15.20.8637. PMID: 25374181.
13. Solomon LJ, Mickey RM, Rairikar CJ, Worden JK, Flynn BS. Three-year prospective adherence to three breast cancer screening modalities. Prev Med. 1998 Nov–Dec;27(6):781–6. doi: 10.1006/pmed.1998.0357. PMID: 9922058.

Introduction: Breast self-examination is a vital screening method for early detection of breast disorders. Effective treatment and higher survival rates depend on early discovery. Breast self-examination is an easy, non-invasive, and affordable way for women to identify problems in their breasts and quickly seek medical assistance. The goal is to compare the results of the pretest and post-test knowledge and skills scores to evaluate the efficacy of the planned teaching program on breast self-examination knowledge and abilities among nursing students. Methodology: A quantitative research approach was used. Design: For this study, a pre-experiment one group pre-test post-test research design was used. On June 13, 2025, the pretest knowledge and skills were evaluated. On June 17, 2025, the planned teaching program (PTP) was conducted. On June 24, 2025, the post-test knowledge and skills were evaluated.Sample: A convenient sample of 127 nursing students from a specified School of Nursing. During data collection, the instrument included a baseline demographic proforma, a structured questionnaire to measure knowledge, and an observation checklist to assess abilities. Setting: Apollo School of Nursing, Delhi. The content validation of data collection tool was done by the subject experts. Result: The major findings of the study reveal that out of 127 nursing students, majority of student nurses 64 (50.4%) were in the age group of 20–22 yrs. Most of the students 122 (96.1%) have previous knowledge regarding breast self-examination. A significant difference in pretest and post-test knowledge score was 0.55 and skills score was 7.02 among nursing students at selected School of Nursing after attending planned teaching program on breast self-examination at p = 0.05. Conclusion:Students will become future nurses, and they must provide quality health education to the patient. All institutes should provide knowledge on breast self-examination to all students.

Keywords: Breast self-examination, knowledge and skills, planned teaching program, breast disorder, breast cancer

🔒 This is a subscription article

Full text is available to subscribers and institutional members. Please choose an option below to access it.

1. Abo Al-Shiekh SS, Ibrahim MA, Alajerami YS. Breast cancer knowledge and practice of breast self-examination among female university students, Gaza. Sci Wrld J. 2021 Apr 27;2021:6640324. doi: 10.1155/2021/6640324. PMID: 34007246; PMCID: PMC8100409.
2. Alkhasawneh IM, Akhu-Zaheya LM, Suleiman SM. Jordanian nurses’ knowledge and practice of breast self-examination. J Adv Nurs. 2009 Feb;65(2):412–6. doi: 10.1111/j.1365–2648.2008.04891.x. PMID: 19191939.
3. Al-Naggar RA, Bobryshev YV, Al-Jashamy K. Practice of breast self-examination among women in Malaysia. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2012;13(8):3829–33. doi: 10.7314/apjcp.2012.13.8.3829. PMID: 23098479.
4. Lera T, Beyene A, Bekele B, Abreha S. Breast self-examination and associated factors among women in Wolaita Sodo, Ethiopia: A community-based cross-sectional study. BMC Womn Hlth. 2020 Aug 8;20(1):167. doi: 10.1186/s12905-020-01042-1. PMID: 32770978; PMCID: PMC7414537.
5. Jadhav BN, Abdul Azeez EP, Mathew M, Senthil Kumar AP, Snegha MR, Yuvashree G, et al. Knowledge, attitude, and practice of breast self-examination is associated with general self-care and cultural factors: A study from Tamil Nadu, India. BMC Womn Hlth. 2024 Mar 2;24(1):151. doi: 10.1186/s12905-024-02981-9. PMID: 38431649; PMCID: PMC10909289.
6. Azage M, Abeje G, Mekonnen A. Assessment of factors associated with breast self-examination among health extension workers in West Gojjam Zone, Northwest Ethiopia. Int J Breast Cancer. 2013;2013:814395. doi: 10.1155/2013/814395. PMID: 24298389; PMCID: PMC3835626.
7. Gabriel OE, Ajetunmobi OA, Shabi OM, Elegbede OT, Okere RA, Busari OA, et al. Awareness and practice of self breast examination among female nurses at the Federal Teaching Hospital Ido-Ekiti, Nigeria. J Public Health Afr. 2016 Aug 17;7(1):528. doi: 10.4081/jphia.2016.528. PMID: 28299150; PMCID: PMC5349254.
8. Mihret MS, Gudayu TW, Abebe AS, Tarekegn EG, Abebe SK, Abduselam MA, et al. Knowledge and practice on breast self-examination and associated factors among summer class social science undergraduate female students in the University of Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia. J Cancer Epidemiol. 2021 Apr 9;2021:8162047. doi: 10.1155/2021/8162047. PMID: 33927761; PMCID: PMC8053048.
9. McGuire S. World Cancer Report 2014. Geneva: World Health Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer, WHO Press; 2015. Adv Nutr. 2016 Mar 15;7(2):418–9. doi: 10.3945/an.116.012211. PMID: 26980827; PMCID: PMC4785485.
10. Odusanya OO. Breast cancer: Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of female schoolteachers in Lagos, Nigeria. Breast J. 2001 May–Jun;7(3):171–5. doi: 10.1046/j.1524–4741.1998.410062.x-i1. PMID: 11469930.
11. Pathak P, Bajpai PK, Jaiswal K, Kumar S, Chauhan M, Agarwal T, et al. Impact of health education on knowledge and attitude of self-breast examination among female nursing students. Indian J Commun Hlth. 2022 Sep 30 [cited 2025 Nov 7];34(3):348–51. Available from:

       https://www.iapsmupuk.org/journal/index.php/IJCH/article/view/2361.

12. Pengpid S, Peltzer K. Knowledge, attitude and practice of breast self-examination among female university students from 24 low, middle income and emerging economy countries. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2014;15(20):8637–40. doi: 10.7314/apjcp.2014.15.20.8637. PMID: 25374181.
13. Solomon LJ, Mickey RM, Rairikar CJ, Worden JK, Flynn BS. Three-year prospective adherence to three breast cancer screening modalities. Prev Med. 1998 Nov–Dec;27(6):781–6. doi: 10.1006/pmed.1998.0357. PMID: 9922058.