Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title:  Effect of structured training programme on the knowledge and behaviors of breast and 
cervical cancer screening among the female tea chers in Turkey  
 
Version: 1 Date: 29 Oct 2016 
 
Reviewer:  Hossein  Ansari  
 
Reviewer’s report:  
 
Dear Editor  
 
I read the manuscript entitled" Effect of structured training program on the knowledge, attitude 
and behaviors of breast and cervical cancer screening among the female teachers in Turkey". 
This manuscript needs major revision and  there is some consideration and suggestion as below:  
 
1- English writing is very poor and needs for revision  
 
2- This study is a pretest and post test study that is called as "semi -experimental study" , so 
this is not a quasi experimental study  
 
3- It is cle ar that health education program could be effective in changing or increasing 
knowledge or attitude more and less. So what is the innovation of present study and its 
difference with the other studies in this field?  
 
4- The last sentence of conclusion in the  abstract section is incomprehensible and it is not 
according to the results of this study  
 
5- Evaluation of the effect of teaching program on attitude is one of the objectives for 
present study, but there is no data regarding subjects' attitude in the res ults section?!!!  
 
6- It seems that the sample size has not estimated based on statistical methods and study on 
volunteers is not unbiased. What is (are) the explanation(s)?  
 
7- This study has been conducted in 2010(6 to 7 years ago). Are the authors sure tha t it has 
not been done similar study in this interval, at least in Turkey?  
 
8- Why were the teachers divided into two subgroups?  
 
9- In this study the researchers have been used paired T test to analyzing the data. Regarding 
low sample size, how have the aut hors checked the normality of data to using a 
parametric statistical test?  
 
10- The authors should mention to reliability and validity of used questionnaire in this study.  
 
11- Please mention to percents along with the absolute frequencies  
 
12- The present ve rbs should be changed to past tense. For example in the result section 
paragraph two, the authors should use "was" instead of "is"  
 
13-  In table two regarding "Breast cancer risk factors", there is 4 significant P values, but the 
authors have mention to 3 of them in the text.  
 
14- If the authors have used "Friedman" test to comparing times in table 4, so, they should 
determine that which times are significantly different rather than the others.  
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Unable to assess  
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further 
assessment in your comments to the edito rs. 
 
I recommend additional statistical review  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Not suitable for publication unless extensively ed ited 
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an 
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this 
manuscript, eithe r now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose 
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relati ng to the content of the 
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below. If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
'I declare that I have no competing interests'  
 
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