Abstract
Objective: To identify the factors, including knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, values, fears, and perceptions,
which influence breast cancer screening behavior among different groups of people.
Methods: A structured literature search was undertaken, using the United States National Library
of Medicine’s PubMed database. Thirty-one breast cancer-related studies were selected; these were summarized
by applying the Health Belief Model and Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors Model to the
framework.
Results: Most of the studies had been conducted in North America, and the designs used were
mostly cross-sectional studies. The percentages of women who underwent mammography ranged from
5.3 to 82. Women who had performed BSE (breast self-examination) ranged from 6.4 to 83 percent, and
women who had undergone CBE (clinical breast examination) ranged from 26 to 61 percent. The review
found that not only did knowledge of breast cancer play an important role in people’s behavior regarding
breast cancer screening, but also regarding beliefs, attitudes, cultures, values, and perceptions.
Conclusion: This literature review addresses issues regarding the importance of knowledge, attitudes,
beliefs, values and cultural awareness when implementing prevention programs. Further research
needs to explore the threshold level of breast cancer knowledge in order to achieve a higher rate of the
breast cancer screening.
