Assessing the Effectiveness of Educational Interventions on Breast Cancer Knowledge, Practice Uptake and Beliefs Among Adult Saudi Women: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Several systematic evaluations have examined the importance of educational interventions in promoting breast cancer screening (BCS) and reducing the incidence of breast cancer (BC). However, studies have yet to evaluate these educational interventions comprehensively among Saudi women. Aim: This review sought to systematically assess the efficacy of various educational interventions in enhancing women’s knowledge, breast self-examination (BSE) practices, and beliefs of breast cancer Screening (BCS) in different regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Objectives: The research aimed to determine whether health education intervention programmes can increase the level of knowledge, BSE practice, and beliefs of BCS among women in Saudi Arabia and to identify the effective characteristics of these interventions in terms of the intervention’s duration, provider, strategies, theoretical framework and components (knowledge of BC, BSE uptake and health beliefs about BCS), and whether a one-component or multi-component approach is appropriate. Method: The study followed the Prospero protocol and utilised the Systematic Review guidelines and PICOSS inclusion and exclusion criteria. A comprehensive literature search used seven electronic databases: Scopus, Medline, CINHAL, EMBASA, Web of Science, ProQuest, and PsycInfo. In addition, a Google Scholar search and citation chaining from the included studies were conducted in June of 2023. Search terms were employed with AND and OR Boolean operators. Study type, intervention settings, country, region, intervention type and elements, sample size, age group, intervention duration, main finding, intervention effectiveness, data collection, delivery method, intervention sustainability, theoretical perspective (if applicable), and study limitations were described. Additionally, the Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) was used to evaluate the data quality of the included studies. The intervention strategies and study characteristics were analysed using a qualitative synthesis narrative of the included studies’ data. Results: Eleven interventional investigations were reviewed in their entirety. Multiple intervention strategies based on theory and language were primarily implemented among adult Saudi women in university and workplace contexts. The defining characteristics of the educational interventions included the provider, duration and mode of delivery. Conclusion: Most studies on the efficacy of educational interventions revealed favourable outcomes regarding Saudi women’s knowledge, BSE practice and beliefs of BCS. Thus, potential educational interventions could increase BSE practice, knowledge and ideas among Saudi women. Recommendations: The educational intervention studies included in this review had numerous limitations, including heterogeneous research designs, intervention strategies and outcome measures. Consequently, future research and policies implementing educational interventions for BC among Saudi women should consider these implications.