Social support and breast self-examination

Declining practice of breast self-examination (BSE) among women over the age of 55 years dramatically decreases the probability of early detection of breast cancer. About two-thirds of women who die of breast cancer are over the age of 55 years. Social support has been found to be associated with health behaviors. Although a woman's health may benefit from supportive relationships, the effect of diminished social networks on practices of BSE among older women has not been examined. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between social support and the frequency and accuracy of BSE practice. The sample consisted of 22 women, 55 years of age and older, who were having routine examinations at a small Midwestern gynecologic clinic. Social support was assessed by the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire, and two tools assessed the accuracy and frequency of BSE. Social support was found to be significantly related to the frequency of BSE (r = 0.45, p < 0.05), but not to the accuracy of BSE (r = 0.28). The results also indicated that these women had lower social support scores compared with younger women. Planners of nursing intervention for BSE should consider healthcare providers as important resources in social support networks for the reinforcement of frequency and accuracy of BSE for older women.