Determining the need for a breast cancer awareness educational intervention for women with mild/moderate levels of intellectual disability: A qualitative descriptive study.

OBJECTIVE: Following a review of the existing body of literature, this study aimed to explore the need for a breast cancer awareness intervention specifically targeted at women with mild/moderate levels of intellectual disability (ID) and provide perspectives on the preferred processes and content underpinning an intervention. METHODS: A qualitative, descriptive design using semi-structured, individual (n = 5) and focus group (n = 5) interviews were used to engage with a non-probability, purposive sample of key stakeholders (n = 25) including women with mild/moderate levels of ID, caregivers and healthcare professionals. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Findings highlighted that an educational intervention should focus on breast awareness as opposed to breast cancer awareness. Additionally, findings identified that a combined breast awareness and healthy living intervention could be effective. However, the intervention needs to have a multimodal, hands-on, person-centred approach to learning which is underpinned by theory. Furthermore, integrating the caregivers and healthcare professionals into the intervention is recommended. CONCLUSION: Findings from this study provide a foundation for developing and implementing a theoretically underpinned, multimodal, breast awareness and healthy living educational intervention for women with mild/moderate levels of ID.

Defining breast cancer awareness and identifying barriers to breast cancer awareness for women with an intellectual disability: A review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: Incidence rates for developing breast cancer are similar for women regardless of intellectual ability. However, women with an intellectual disability present with advanced breast cancers, which often have a poor prognosis. METHOD: A structured narrative review of the literature was performed to explore the concepts of breast awareness and breast cancer awareness and subsequently, identify barriers to breast cancer awareness encountered by women with an intellectual disability. RESULTS: A total of 22 studies involving people with varying levels of intellectual disability informed this review. The barriers to breast cancer awareness encountered by women with an intellectual disability include: lack of their understanding, the role of the carer and literacy issues. CONCLUSION: Identifying the barriers to breast cancer awareness for women with an intellectual disability will help to facilitate breast cancer awareness which has the potential to result in better long-term outcomes through an early diagnosis of breast cancer.