Self-care actions in users with positive mammography findings. Manizales, Colombia

Abstract

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor in women in both affected and developing countries. Ignorance of self-care practices for prevention and timely diagnosis leads to a large percentage of women go to the doctor when the lesions are in advanced stages of cancer, making healing opportunities difficult. Objective: to determine self-care actions for the prevention of breast cancer in patients with positive mammography findings from a health services provider institution in Manizales, Caldas, between 2014 and 2016. Methods: a descriptive observational, quantitative, cross-sectional study was performed. 103 women participated answering a survey-type instrument. Results: the study population had a mean age of 63 years, 38.8 % were married, and the level of incomplete primary schooling was 24.3 %. 85.4 % of women are able to perform work and normal activities of daily living; 48.5 % never perform breast self-examination before knowing the results of mammography; 37 % women have a frequency of self-exploration once a month. 40 % dedicate time for self-care and 75 % of women consult doubts regarding the detection of alterations expressing interest in their health care in 96 %. Conclusions: the knowledge and self-care ability against breast cancer prevention in the participants was regular, and they had inadequate practice on breast self-examination techniques. The attitude of women toward breast self-examination facilitates communication channels for information and education on self-care practices in the prevention of breast cancer.