Abstract
Background. Education of women to perform breast self‐examination is a main objective of cancer societies worldwide. Methods. By means of a questionnaire, 975 healthy women in an Austria‐wide population‐based cross‐sectional study were asked about their knowledge of breast self‐examination (BSE) and mammography, and their cancer histories. Results. 92% of the women knew BSE but only 31% practiced it thoroughly. Women living in rural communities with a life companion and younger women were more likely to practice BSE. Women who had family histories of cancer, especially older women, performed BSE significantly more often. There was a trend towards increasing BSE with increasing personal perception of the risk of cancer, especially among older women. The study showed a positive association between BSE and screening mammography. Conclusions. Although knowledge of BSE is widespread, it is actually practiced by only one third of women. Older women but not young women carry out BSE significantly more often when they have family histories of cancer. Information campaigns should target specific groups and emphasize the effectiveness of properly done BSE.