Adolescent Breast Health Initiative for Nova Scotia

By Barbara Thompson, Network Coordinator

Last Updated: Jul 16, 2009
Notice Board : Nova Scotia

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Breast Cancer Action Nova Scotia is pleased to announce that through their Breast Cancer Network Nova Scotia project work they have funding for an Adolescent Breast Health Initiative for Nova Scotia (Pilot) for the 2009-2010 period.  Funding comes from the Public Health Agency of Canada through the Cancer Program - Public Health Community Programming Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control.

The Initiative will target girls from the ages of 16 to 18. An education package will be created from consultation with teen girls, healthcare providers and health related organizations/associations, Network Representatives, the BCANS Board of Directors, and Cancer Care Manitoba.  The goal is to educate all teen girls in Nova Scotia with information they can use throughout their lifetime. 

Nine focus groups will be conducted throughout Nova Scotia where data will be collected from urban, rural, French, Black, Lesbian, Mi'kmaq, and Immigrant teen girls. Qualitative research will be conducted by Corporate Research Associates Inc.

Advisory Committee partners include:  Breast Cancer Network Nova Scotia representatives, the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation-Atlantic, Canadian Cancer Society-Nova Scotia Division, the IWK Health Centre, Association des Acadiennes de la Nouvelle-Écosse/ Réseau Santé Nouvelle-Écosse, Donna Smith, Cancer Care Nova Scotia, the Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq, the Union of Nova Scotia Indians, Pride Health, and the Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women. The Network will consult with Cancer Care Manitoba and learn from their “Be Pink - Adolescent Breast Health Resource Packageâ€� that was developed and successfully implemented for high school and community health educators in Manitoba. 

Why has BCNNS targeted the 16-18 age group?  
This target age range has been selected to take advantage of the teen girls’ formative years in terms of body development and developing healthy lifestyles early.  Eighty percent of women who receive a diagnosis of breast cancer have no family history of the disease.  Breast Screening in Nova Scotia begins at the age of 40.  For younger women, their only recourse is breast self-examination (BSE) and examination by a family physician.  If 80% of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer do not have a family history, then young women from these families are simply not thinking about breast health and breast cancer and therefore most do not practice breast awareness or have clinical examinations.  Nor are they thinking that lifestyle habits correlate with a higher risk of diseases at this age. An adolescent Beast Health Initiative will be unique for Nova Scotia. At this time there are no other programs focusing on breast health for teen girls.
 
According to Statistics Canada, Nova Scotia currently has one of the highest rates of breast cancer in Canada and one of the highest rates of obesity.  Statistics Canada reports that approximately 9.5% of the females in Nova Scotia between the ages 15 to 19 are smokers. This compares to 7.1% for males of the same age. Research has proven that high fat intake, living a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, second-hand smoke, and poor nutrition increase the risk of such diseases as breast cancer.

For more information, contact Barbara Thompson, Network Coordinator at (902) 465-2685.

Have comments about this article? We'd love to hear from you. Please email us at abcn@abcn.ca!