Exploring Breast Health Education and Key Educational Providers for Women with Intellectual Disabilities in Austria

Women with intellectual disabilities (ID) show lower participation rates in breast cancer screening than the general population. This leads to cancer being diagnosed at a later stage and higher morbidity. Studies previously highlighted the importance of education targeted at women with ID. Being educated on and understanding the importance of leads to higher utilization of breast cancer screening. However, it is yet to be explored what proportion of women with ID received breast health education in Austria. Moreover, it remains unclear who is delivering breast health education. In order to successfully target educational providers when designing educational measures, it is crucial to identify them first. This study aims to explore breast health education in women with ID in Austria. First, we aim to assess the proportion of
women with ID who have previously received education on breast health, focusing on breast cancer,
mammography and breast palpation. Further we aim to identify who provided them with information on
the respective topics. Data collection was part of a larger online survey on breast cancer screening in
Austria. We surveyed 113 primary caregivers of women with ID. Given their close connection and
importance in facilitating healthcare, they represent a reliable source of information for this purpose. For
this study, characteristics of women with ID and their caregivers, as well as information on breast health
education was collected. Results suggest that half of the women with ID (49.6%) received education on
breast cancer. A majority of the women with ID (63.5%) were provided with information on mammography
and approximately 24.8% received education on breast palpation. Education on mammography was
significantly associated with characteristics of women with ID. Further, education on breast cancer and
mammography was mostly provided by caregivers themselves, medical personnel and social workers.
Education on these domains was rarely, to almost never, delivered through educational institutions, media
or family members. Comprehensive results will be presented at the conference. The results of this study
show a lack of education on breast health in women with ID in Austria. Medical personnel and caregivers
seem to be primarily responsible for breast health education. Contrarily, educational institutions seem to
represent an underutilised source, which could potentially offer a range of possibilities for providing
education. This study offers information on who to target for educational means and lays a foundation on
eventually providing a comprehensive breast health education for women with ID.