Table 1.
Baseline characteristics and the questionnaire items of all respondents divided by the four sections. Section 2 of the Questionnaire is related to screening adhesion for all women aged 50–69 only. Possible association between Groups (outcome) and socio-demographics data (explanatory variables) such as Age, Level of education and Geographical area) were also evaluated for Sect. 2. A p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant (*p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001)
| Section 1: Baseline characteristics | N | % | |
| Age (y) | |||
| 20–29 | 1076 | 45 | |
| 30–39 | 544 | 23 | |
| 40–49 | 417 | 18 | |
| 50–59 | 249 | 10 | |
| 60–69 | 89 | 4 | |
| Geographic area | |||
| North | 607 | 26 | |
| Center | 512 | 22 | |
| South/Islands | 1256 | 53 | |
| Marital status | |||
| Married | 944 | 40 | |
| Divorced | 81 | 3 | |
| Maiden | 1280 | 54 | |
| Separate | 46 | 2 | |
| Widow | 24 | 1 | |
| Education level | |||
| Degree | 954 | 40 | |
| High school graduation | 1197 | 50 | |
| Junior high school diploma | 202 | 9 | |
| Elementary license | 17 | 1 | |
| None | 5 | 0 | |
| Employment status | |||
| Craftsman | 254 | 11 | |
| Public Administration | 624 | 26 | |
| Services/Tertiary | 356 | 15 | |
| Student | 746 | 31 | |
| Retired | 50 | 2 | |
| Unemployed | 345 | 15 | |
| Questionnaire items | N | % | |
| Section 2: Participation in screening programs (Women aged 50–69 only) | |||
| Q1. Have you ever undergone clinical screening for early detection of breast cancer? | |||
| Never | 20 | 6 | Age: < 0.001*** |
| Rarely | 45 | 13 | Education level: < 0.001*** |
| Occasionally | 17 | 5 | Geographical area: < 0.001*** |
| Often | 78 | 23 | |
| Always | 178 | 53 | |
| Q2. If yes, please indicate the frequency | |||
| I have never had a screening exam | 17 | 5 | Age: < 0.001*** |
| Every two years | 140 | 41 | Education level: < 0.001*** |
| Once a year | 164 | 49 | Geographical area: < 0.001*** |
| Every six months | 15 | 4 | |
| Once a month | 2 | 1 | |
| Q3. Have you ever taken advantage of the region's free checkups? | |||
| No | 97 | 29 | Age: < 0.001*** |
| Yes | 235 | 70 | Education level: < 0.001*** |
| I don't know what this is about | 6 | 2 | Geographical area: < 0.001*** |
| Q4. Have you ever undergone a biopsy? | |||
| No | 151 | 45 | Age: < 0.001*** |
| Yes | 56 | 17 | Education level: < 0.001*** |
| missing | 131 | 39 | Geographical area: < 0.001*** |
| Q5. Have you ever undergone mammography? | |||
| No | 6 | 2 | Age: < 0.001*** |
| Yes | 323 | 95 | Education level: < 0.001*** |
| missing | 9 | 3 | Geographical area: < 0.001*** |
| Q6. Have you ever undergone ultrasonography? | |||
| No | 51 | 15 | Age: < 0.001*** |
| Yes | 235 | 70 | Education level: < 0.001*** |
| missing | 52 | 15 | Geographical area: < 0.001*** |
| Q7. Have you ever undergone magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)? | |||
| No | 169 | 50 | Age: < 0.001*** |
| Yes | 25 | 7 | Education level: < 0.001*** |
| missing | 144 | 43 | Geographical area: < 0.001*** |
| Section 3: Approach toward self-examination (BSE) | |||
| Q8. How often do you perform breast self-examination? | |||
| Never | 445 | 19 | Age: < 0.001*** |
| Rarely | 567 | 24 | Education level: < 0.001*** |
| Occasionally | 717 | 30 | Geographical area: < 0.001*** |
| Often | 560 | 24 | |
| Always | 86 | 4 | |
| Q9. If no, state the reason | |||
| I perform it | 989 | 42 | Age: < 0.001*** |
| I perform other medical examinations | 36 | 2 | Education level: < 0.001*** |
| I don't remember to run it | 425 | 18 | Geographical area: < 0.001*** |
| Fear of ominous prognosis | 117 | 5 | |
| I don't know how to execute it correctly | 807 | 34 | |
| missing | 1 | 0 | |
| Q10. When I perform self-examination I am taking care of myself | |||
| Strongly agree | 1422 | 60 | Age: < 0.001*** |
| agree | 849 | 36 | Education level: < 0.001*** |
| uncertain | 99 | 4 | Geographical area:0.09 |
| disagree | 3 | 0 | |
| strongly disagree | 2 | 0 | |
| Q11. Self-palpation is embarrassing | |||
| Strongly agree | 32 | 2 | Age: < 0.001*** |
| agree | 93 | 4 | Education level: < 0.001*** |
| uncertain | 143 | 6 | Geographical area: < 0.05* |
| disagree | 842 | 35 | |
| strongly disagree | 1264 | 53 | |
| Q12. Self-palpation takes too long | |||
| Strongly agree | 12 | 1 | Age: < 0.001*** |
| agree | 53 | 2 | Education level: < 0.001*** |
| uncertain | 302 | 13 | Geographical area: < 0.001*** |
| disagree | 1136 | 48 | |
| strongly disagree | 872 | 37 | |
| Q13. It is difficult to remember to do breast checks | |||
| Strongly agree | 59 | 2 | Age: < 0.001*** |
| agree | 357 | 15 | Education level: < 0.001*** |
| uncertain | 382 | 16 | Geographical area: < 0.001*** |
| disagree | 932 | 39 | |
| strongly disagree | 645 | 27 | |
| Q14. I have no privacy to perform the breast check | |||
| Strongly agree | 10 | 0 | Age: < 0.001*** |
| agree | 85 | 4 | Education level: < 0.001*** |
| uncertain | 152 | 6 | Geographical area: < 0.05* |
| disagree | 988 | 42 | |
| strongly disagree | 1160 | 48 | |
| Q15. My breasts are too big by self-examination | |||
| Strongly agree | 23 | 1 | Age: < 0.001*** |
| agree | 80 | 3 | Education level: < 0.001*** |
| uncertain | 304 | 13 | Geographical area: < 0.001*** |
| disagree | 1006 | 42 | |
| strongly disagree | 962 | 41 | |
| Q16. I have more important problems than self-palpation | |||
| Strongly agree | 8 | 0 | Age: < 0.001*** |
| agree | 34 | 1 | Education level: < 0.001*** |
| uncertain | 113 | 5 | Geographical area: 0.06 |
| disagree | 944 | 40 | |
| strongly disagree | 1276 | 54 | |
| Q17. Can I perform self-examination correctly | |||
| Strongly agree | 299 | 13 | Age: < 0.001*** |
| agree | 965 | 41 | Education level: < 0.001*** |
| uncertain | 876 | 37 | Geographical area: < 0.001*** |
| disagree | 181 | 8 | |
| strongly disagree | 54 | 2 | |
| Q18. Would like more information about self-examination | |||
| No | 333 | 14 | Age: < 0.001*** |
| Yes | 2042 | 86 |
Education level: < 0.001*** Geographical area: < 0.001*** |
| Q19. Do you find the general practitioner useful for info on self- examination | |||
| No | 628 | 26 | Age: < 0.001*** |
| Yes | 1747 | 74 |
Education level: < 0.001*** Geographical area: < 0.001*** |
| Q20. Do you find the oncologist useful for info on self-examination | |||
| No | 459 | 19 | Age: < 0.001*** |
| Yes | 1916 | 81 |
Education level: < 0.001*** Geographical area: < 0.05* |
| Q21. Do you find the nurse useful for info on self-examination | |||
| No | 1212 | 51 | Age: < 0.001*** |
| Yes | 1162 | 49 |
Education level: < 0.001*** Geographical area: < 0.001*** |
| Q22. Do you find the psychologist useful for info on self-examination | |||
| No | 2083 | 88 | Age: < 0.001*** |
| Yes | 292 | 12 |
Education level: < 0.001*** Geographical area: < 0.05* |
| Q23. Do you find the breast specialist useful for info on self-examination | |||
| No | 67 | 3 | Age: < 0.001*** |
| Yes | 2308 | 97 |
Education level: < 0.001*** Geographical area: < 0.05* |
| SECTION 4: KNOWLEDGE AND USE OF APPS DEDICATED TO BSE | |||
| Q24. Do you know or use dedicated applications for self-palpation? | |||
| No | 2325 | 98 | Age: < 0.001*** |
| Yes | 50 | 2 |
Education level: < 0.001*** Geographical area: < 0.05* |
| Q25. Use BreastTest | |||
| I do not use any application | 273 | 11 | Age: < 0.001*** |
| Never | 775 | 33 | Education level: < 0.01** |
| Rarely | 31 | 1 | Geographical area: 0.27 |
| Occasionally | 14 | 1 | |
| Often | 3 | 0 | |
| Always | 3 | 0 | |
| missing | 1276 | 54 | |
| Q26. Do you use Igyno? | |||
| I do not use any application | 270 | 11 | Age: < 0.001*** |
| Never | 765 | 32 | Education level: < 0.01** |
| Rarely | 36 | 2 | Geographical area: 0.15 |
| Occasionally | 15 | 1 | |
| Often | 4 | 0 | |
| Always | 3 | 0 | |
| missing | 1282 | 54 | |
| Q27. Do you use Breast Cancer Indicators? | |||
| I do not use any application | 269 | 11 | Age: < 0.001*** |
| Never | 774 | 33 | Education level: < 0.001*** |
| Rarely | 27 | 1 | Geographical area: < 0.05* |
| Occasionally | 13 | 1 | |
| Often | 3 | 0 | |
| Always | 1 | 0 | |
| missing | 1288 | 54 | |