Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, Vol 8, 2007 481 Peer Education Model in Teaching Breast Self-Examination Asian Pacific J Cancer Prev, 8, 481-484 Introduction Today, cancer is one of the most significant diseases threatening human health. The American Cancer Society (2007) has published figures showing breast cancer to be the most comman cancer among women. According to Turkish Ministry of Health’s Statistics 1999, breast cancer among women in Turkey also holds first place, accounting for 24% of the total. Fidaner et al (2001) similarly found breast cancer was the most frequent cancer of women, accounting for 26.7 % of female cancers in Western Turkey. Methods for early detection of breast cancer include mammography, clinical breast examination (CBE) methods and breast self examination (BSE). BSE provides an alternative and relatively simple low-cost method of early detection (Epstein 2003, Anderson et al., 2003). While the Kokta Pilot Project found that BSE improved early detection and reduced mortality (Hakama et al., 1995), Russian (Semiglazov et al., 1999) and Chinese () studies revealed no stage shifts or mortality reduction. Nevertheless, the American Cancer Society (2007) recommends young women that beginning in their 20s, women should be told about the benefits and limitations of BSE. Women can notice changes by being aware of how their breasts normally look and feel and by palpating for changes or by choosing to use a step-by-step approach Arzu Tuna Malak*, Aklime Dicle *For Correspondence: Dokuz Eylul University School of Nursing, Medical Surgical Nursing Department Izmir/Türkiye, email: arzu.tuna@deu.edu.tr and using a specific examination schedule. The key word is awarenes. Self-awareness is vital to detecting breast cancer early (UPMC, 2007). Maurer (1997) has emphasized that women should start to practice BSE in late adolescence, and during this period as a result of increase in peer identity and social interaction, the importance of peer education increases in spreading BSE among women and helping them to adopt and see it as a part of their lives. Because female students identify with each other and have peer interaction during late adolescence, the present research was planned to evaluate effectiveness of peer education model in teaching Breast Self-Examination to students. Peer group is a social group whose essence is “unity”. The message given to an individual by the social group is “be like us, identify your self with group” (Morris and Richard, 1988). “Identity” means that someone adopts some oneelse’s characteristics, feelings, attitudes, values and beliefs and makes those things as part of his /her own personality. Identity; is the unconscious maturation of an individual as a result of social interaction during the transition period experienced from childhood to adulthood (Öztürk, 1990). Identity in late adolescence was defined first by Ericson (1963), a development theorist. According to Erikson, identity in late adolescence demonstrates dependence on peers with regard to development of RESEARCH COMMUNICATION Assessing the Efficacy of a Peer Education Model in Teaching Breast Self-Examination to University Students Abstract This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a peer education model in teaching breast self- examination to a late adolescence female student group attending the second class of Buca Educational Faculty of Dokuz Eylül University (DEU). A total of 15 volunteer students were given the breast self-examination training programme by a researcher and thereby became qualified as peer educators. Each then reached 10 peers and conveyed information on the Breast-Self Examination Programme. The identification forms of the students were filled out by the researcher. Evaluation forms I and II developed by Maurer (1997) for regular BSE practice and skills were used and evaluated with 100 points. The “paired t-test”, “Student’s t-test”, “McNemar test”, and “Pearson correlation test” were employed to for statistical assessment. According to the evaluation results; while the students’s avarage point of knowledge on BSE was 43.0 ± 11.7 before training, it became 88.9 ± 8.15 after a week, and 86.9 ± 9.69 after four weeks. It was obvious that there was a meaningful difference between those knowledge rates (p<0,05). Similarly while the ratio of systematic practice of BSE among students was 2.6% before training it increased to 66% (p<0.05). Additionally, the average point of the students BSE practice skills became 91.5 ± 7.25 at four weeks after the training with a significant increase as well (r=0,70). Therefore we conclude that the peer education model is an effective method for teaching breast self examination to students. Key Words: Breast-self examination - identity and social interaction - peer education model