Effectiveness of Peer Group Education on Breast Self-Examination Skills for Early Detection of Fibroadenoma Mammae: A Quasi-Experimental Study among Adolescent Girls in Indonesia
Abstract
Fibroadenoma Mammae (FAM) is the most common benign breast tumor occurring in adolescent girls and women under 30 years of age. This study aims to determine whether peer group education can significantly enhance students' ability to perform breast self-examination (BSE) as a preventive effort against Fibroadenoma Mammae. This research employed a quasi-experimental design with a one-group pre-test and post-test approach. The study was conducted at State Senior High School 3 Gowa with 50 respondents, consisting of female students from grades X and XI selected through purposive sampling based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. The intervention involved Peer Group Education, where selected students (peer educators) were trained to educate their peers using discussion sessions, video demonstrations, and educational tools. Data were collected through questionnaires and observation sheets and analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test to assess differences before and after the intervention. The average pre-test score of early detection skills was 3.46, which increased to 8.60 after the intervention. The Wilcoxon test result showed Z = -6.557 with p = 0.000 (p < 0.05), indicating a statistically significant improvement in early detection skills after the Peer Group Education intervention. In conclusion, Peer Group Education was proven effective in enhancing the early detection skills of Fibroadenoma Mammae among adolescent girls at State Senior High School 3 Gowa. The peer-led approach increased motivation, engagement, and practical understanding, demonstrating that peer-based learning can be a valuable method for promoting adolescent reproductive health awareness.
References
Das, S., Dey, M. K., Devireddy, R., & Gartia, M. R. (2024). Biomarkers in Cancer Detection, Diagnosis, and Prognosis. In Sensors (Vol. 24, Number 1). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI). https://doi.org/10.3390/s24010037
İzmir Bakırçay Üniversitesi, Hemşirelik Bölümü, & Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi. (2025). The Effect of Peer Education on
University Students’ Breast Self-Examination and Health Beliefs_ Quasi-Experimental Study [#1436006]-3724541. YOBU Faculty of Health Sciences Journal, (1).
Mahar, B., Osman, M. B., Fauzi, F. A., & Aliyu, S. (2026). The impact of educational interventions on breast self-examination practice, knowledge, and beliefs among women: A systematic review and meta-analysis. In Journal of Public Health Research (Vol. 15, Number 1). SAGE Publications Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1177/22799036261423725
Maria Qubtia, Asma Mahmood, & Noman Shahid. (2026). A School–Based Pre–Post Interventional Study in Toba Tek Singh, Pakistan on Breast Cancer Knowledge and Breast Self-Examination Among Adolescent Female Students Using Peer-Assisted Learning. Educational Intervention on Breast Cancer Using Peer-Assisted Learning, 6(2).
Mukesh Verma, & and Sudhir Srivastava. (2022). Epigenetics in cancer: implications for early detection and prevention. The Lancet Global Health.
Obeagu, E. I., & Obeagu, G. U. (2024). Breast cancer: A review of risk factors and diagnosis. Medicine (United States), 103(3), E36905. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000036905
Ogunmodede, E. O., Ajala, D. E., Aluko, J. O., Anokwuru, R. A., Awotunde, T. A., Olajide, A. O., Dosumu, T. O., Olabisi, O. I., & Ajala, R. G. (2024). Promoting breast health among female adolescents: a comparative analysis of the effects of two didactic tools on knowledge and practice regarding breast self-examination in Southwest Nigeria. BMC Cancer, 24(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-024-12949-5
Rebbeck, T. R., Burns-White, K., Chan, A. T., Emmons, K., Freedman, M., Hunter, D. J., Kraft, P., Laden, F., Mucci, L., Parmigiani, G., Schrag, D., Syngal, S., Tamimi, R. M., Viswanath, K., Yurgelun, M. B., & Garber, J. E. (2021). Precision prevention and early detection of cancer: Fundamental principles. Cancer Discovery, 8(7), 803–811. https://doi.org/10.1158/2159-8290.CD-17-1415
Sagoe, S., Clottey, P. T., Kwakye, I. N., Lamptey, E., Sagoe, S., Degley, T. A., Nukpezah, R. N., & Adom-Fynn, D. (2026). Adolescent Girls’ Breast Self-Examination Practices in Eastern Region of Ghana. Breast Journal, 2026(1). https://doi.org/10.1155/tbj/5207043
Soltanian, H., & Lee, M. (2019). Breast fibroadenomas in adolescents: current perspectives. Adolescent Health, Medicine and Therapeutics, 159. https://doi.org/10.2147/ahmt.s55833
World Health Organization. (2021). Global population ageing: implications for health and development. The Lancet Healthy Longevity, 2. https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/population-ageing
World Health Organization. (2024). Breast Cancer. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/breast-cancer
World Health Organization. (2025). Child Growth Standards: Methods and Developmen (World Health Organization, Ed.). https://doi.org/WorldHealthOrganization
Zhou, M., He, X., Zhang, J., Mei, C., Zhong, B., & Ou, C. (2024). tRNA-derived small RNAs in human cancers: roles, mechanisms, and clinical application. In Molecular Cancer (Vol. 23, Number 1). BioMed Central Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12943-024-01992-2
Copyright (c) 2026 Andi Tenri Abeng, Sunarti Sunarti, Linda Hardianti Saputri
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
