%0 Journal Article %T Adherence to Recommended Breast Cancer Screening in Iranian Turkmen Women: The Role of Knowledge and Beliefs %A Abdurrahman Charkazi %A Afieh Samimi %A Khadijeh Razzaghi %A Ghorban Mohammad Kouchaki %A Mitra Moodi %A Kamal Meirkarimi %A Ashoor Mohammad Kouchaki %A Hossein Shahnazi %J ISRN Preventive Medicine %D 2013 %R 10.5402/2013/581027 %X The aim of the current study was to investigate breast cancer screening performance among Iranian Turkmen women along with their knowledge and beliefs. A cross-sectional study was carried out in June to December 2011. Through clustered sampling method, 1080 Iranian Turkmen women completed the questionnaire including breast cancer screening adherence, knowledge, fatalism beliefs, and perceived threat using Champions Health Belief Model Scale (CHBMS).The mean age of the participants was 43.04 (SD = 11.80) years. Compliance rate in a regular basis based on national guidelines was 13.1%, 2.5%, and 0.9% for SBE, CBE, and mammography, respectively. A mere 4% have been provided adequately with information about breast cancer. Having knowledge was the best predictor of breast cancer screening adherence along with high educated husbands for SBE performing. Susceptibility and fatalism were low and were influenced by participants¡¯ educational level and age. In conclusion, Iranian Turkmen women had insufficient knowledge, low perceived susceptibility, high fatalistic belief, and very poor adherence to breast cancer screening. There is a need for providing breast cancer education programs among the Iranian Turkmen women to increase their adherence rate. 1. Introduction Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women and its incidence rates are increasing throughout the world [1, 2]. According to Iranian population-based cancer registration report, breast cancer is becoming number one prevalent cancer among Iranian women accounting for 24.82% of all cancers diagnosed among women. Furthermore, 6456 new cases of breast cancer were diagnosed in 2006 [3]. The age-adjusted incidence rate was 25.06 per 100,000 women in this period [3]. Harrichi et al. study acknowledged that Iranian women get to breast cancer at least one decade younger than women in developed countries [4]. Essential to the success of decreasing mortality, early detection and breast cancer diagnosis is logically a significant process and it could lead consequently to an increase in the survival rate up to 95% [1]. There has not been any systematic preventive approach in Iranian health system affecting the early detection and treatment of breast cancer among Iranian women. Specialists defined breast cancer screening behaviors as health improvement activities,£¿£¿like breast self-examination (BSE), clinical breast examination (CBE), and mammography which facilitate early detection [5, 6]. Despite the effectiveness of breast cancer screening behaviors in reducing mortality, research findings %U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn.preventive.medicine/2013/581027/