Nowadays, breast self-examination (BSE) is a breast cancer screening method that identifies breast mass by the woman herself. However, it is not widely practiced due to various problems. This study ...aimed to assess the magnitude of BSE practice and associated factors among female secondary school teachers in Gammo Gofa Zone, South Ethiopia.
An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 247 female secondary school teachers, from March 1 to 30, 2018. Participants were selected using the lottery method. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were cleaned, coded, and entered into Epi data manager 4.4 and analyzed using SPSS version 21. Binary logistic regression was employed.
Of 82 respondents, 34.3% had ever performed BSE. Among these, only 32 (13.4%) had practiced BSE monthly (regularly). Being knowledgeable on BSE AOR=2.84, 95% CI (1.41, 5.72), ever heard about BSE AOR=2.26, 95% CI (1.07, 4.77), being married AOR=4.09, 95% CI (1.64, 10.22), having less perceived barrier to BSE AOR=2.62, 95% CI (1.26, 5.46), having high perceived confidence AOR=3.63, 95% CI (1.79, 7.39) and motivation to BSE AOR=3.29, 95% CI (1.15, 9.45) were significant predictors of BSE practice.
In this study, one in three women had ever practiced BSE, whereas about one in seven women regularly practiced BSE. The main reasons for not practicing BSE were: not knowing how to perform BSE and forgetfulness (for regular practice). Therefore, integrated work on behavioral change communication and interferences that focus on improving knowledge of BSE, and skills on how to perform BSE is needed. Additionally, the identified domains of the health belief model (perceived barrier, perceived confidence, and perceived motivation) may be the most effective strategies that should be considered by Gammo Gofa Zonal health and educational offices.
Breast cancer is a significant threat to Chinese women living in the United States. The purposes of this study are, first, to examine the relationships among breast cancer risk knowledge, general ...cancer beliefs, and breast examination practices and, second, to determine the predictors of breast examination practices among Chinese women in New York. The study offers a descriptive approach that makes use of a correlation cross-sectional survey (N = 135). Five significant predictors are related to breast examination practices as a result of the study findingsage, acculturation, private insurance status, legal status, and length of stay in New York. Findings show that women who have regular breast examinations most likely belong to older generations, as compared with their younger peers. Study findings suggest that healthcare providers must become more culturally sensitive to the practices and needs of Chinese immigrants. Evidently, providing information regarding cancer prevention targeted for female Chinese immigrants can help increase use of cancer screening tests.
Knowledge and perceptions related to breast self-examination (BSE) and breast cancer are abysmal among adolescents. This study assessed the effect of an educational intervention on knowledge and ...perceptions of breast self-examination among adolescent females. Quasi-experimental research design was utilized for this study among sixty female adolescent students selected through a multi-staged sampling technique from two public secondary schools in Delta State, Nigeria. There were two groups; the experimental group had BSE educational pamphlet and a control group that had a pamphlet not related to BSE. Data was collected with a validated instrument and was analyzed using SPSS version 23.0. Level of statistical significance was set at p=0.05. The mean age of the adolescents in the intervention group and the control group were 15.90±1.58years and 15.43±1.36years respectively. There was significant increase in the level of BSE knowledge of the participants between baseline and post intervention from (5.20±2.28 to 21.56±1.85, p=0.000) and there was also an increase in the level of BSE perception from (37.46 ±4.91 to 56.73±7.34, p=0.000). Additionally, there were significant differences in the levels of BSE knowledge and perceptions of the experimental group between baseline and 8 weeks post- intervention (t29= 29.44, p<0.01; t29= 19.27, p<0.01) respectively. The use of breast self- examination pamphlet is an effective tool in improving breast self-examination knowledge and perceptions among adolescent females.
Background and Aim
Breast cancer is the leading cancer in terms of incidence in Kenya. We conducted a breast cancer awareness and screening pilot to assess feasibility of rolling out a national ...screening program in Kenya.
Methods
Conducted in Nyeri County during October–November 2019, the pilot had three phases; awareness creation, screening (clinical breast examination and/or imaging) and final evaluation (post‐screening exit interviews and retrospective screening data review). Descriptive statistics on awareness, screening process and outputs were derived.
Results
During the pilot, 1813 CBE, 217 breast ultrasounds and 600 mammograms were performed. Mammography equipment utilization increased from 11% to 83%. Of 49 women with suspicious lesions on mammography, only 22 (44.9%) had been linked to care 4 months after the campaign. Of 532 exit interview respondents; 95% (505/532) were ≥35 years of age; 80% (426/532) had been reached by the awareness campaign. Majority (75% 399/532) had received information from community health volunteers; 68% through social groups. Majority (79% 420/532) felt the campaign had changed their behavior on breast health. Although 77% (407/532) had knowledge on self breast examination (SBE); only 13% practiced monthly SBE. More than half (58% 306/532) had previously undertaken a CBE. Approximately 70% (375/528) were unaware of mammography before the pilot; 86% (459/532) had never previously undertaken a mammogram. Fifty‐five percent (293/532) of respondents had screening waiting times of >120 min.
Conclusion
Community health workers can create breast cancer screening demand sustainably. Adequate personnel and effective follow‐up are crucial before national roll‐out of a breast cancer screening program.
The awareness of health professionals about breast cancer prevention is of vital importance, since their beliefs and behaviors may have a major impact on other women. The aim of this study was to ...investigate the knowledge, and attitudes regarding risk factors for breast cancer as well as screening such as breast self-examination, clinical breast examination and mammography among different groups of female health professionals. In this cross- sectional study, 444 female health professionals in various health centers located in Corum Province, Turkey, were interviewed using a self-administered questionnaire. The mean age was 33.1 ± 6.1 and most were married (81.3%). The rate of feeling under risk regarding breast cancer among female health personnel was 31.3%. The majority (98.4 %) perceived breast self-examination as a beneficial method for the early detection of breast cancer. Although 81.3 % of the participants stated that they did breast self examination, only 27.3 % reported doing so on a regular basis (performed monthly or once per menstrual cycle). The most common reason for not doing breast self-examination was the belief that it was not necessary (45.8 %). Of the entire group, the rate of having a mammography was 10.1% and the rate of clinical breast examination was 24.8%. Health professionals are a direct source of medical information to the public. The use of breast self-examination and mammography was found lower than expected when considering the fact that participants were health care professionals.
: Mammography is the most sensitive available means for early detection of breast cancer, but both clinical breast examination (CBE) and breast self‐examination (BSE) have the potential to advance ...the diagnosis of breast cancer without the expense of a mammography facility. CBE detects about 60% of cancers detected by mammography, as well as some cancers not detected by mammography. There have been no randomized trials comparing breast cancer mortality between women offered and not offered CBE. However, indirect evidence comes from a Canadian study in which women were randomly assigned to CBE alone or CBE plus mammography. Women in the two groups had similar rates of nodal involvement at diagnosis and of breast cancer mortality. Thus if receipt of mammography averts some deaths from breast cancer, the results of this study suggest that CBE has the potential to do so as well. Most studies have found that breast cancers detected by BSE are smaller than those detected without screening and are more likely to be confined to the breast; furthermore, survival after a diagnosis of breast cancer tends to be longer among women who practice BSE than among women who do not. However, neither observational nor randomized studies of BSE provide evidence that this screening modality reduces breast cancer mortality. A recent randomized study in Shanghai, China, found that women assigned to extensive BSE instruction and women assigned to another health intervention had similar distributions of cancer size and stage at diagnosis and similar breast cancer mortality rates. In summary, CBE appears to be a promising means of averting some deaths from breast cancer, whereas BSE appears to have little or no impact on breast cancer mortality.
PurposeBreast cancer (BC) presents a major public health challenge world-over including India. While several risk-factors, early signs and symptoms of BC are known, the knowledge and awareness of ...this disease remains poor among the population. The present study aimed to determine the extent of knowledge and awareness of BC, its risk factors, early signs and symptoms and breast self-examination (BSE) practice as an early detection method among Indian college-going female students.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a cross-sectional survey at a University in Delhi-NCR. Data on socio-demographic, knowledge and awareness of BC including BSE was collected using a pretested questionnaire. Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis was performed. All tests were two-sided and significance was set at p < 0.05.FindingsA total of 866 female students participated in the study with mean age of 22.32 (±0.146) years having mean body mass index (BMI) of 21.22 (±3.52). As high as 82.1% of the participants had heard of BC but while 74.8% thought early detection is possible, 70.7% believed BC cannot be prevented. Gene mutations (60.2%) were identified as a significant risk factor, while breast pain (61.4%) was commonly recognized as a sign of BC. Only 29.8% of students ever performed BSE. Increased odds of performing BSE (OR = 3.4) was found among students who recognized gene mutations as an important BC risk factor.Research limitations/implicationsKnowledge and awareness of BC including BSE among female college students were found to be below average. It is suggested that there is an urgent need for increasing BC awareness among young girls through workshops and mobile-health interventions.Practical implicationsThis study provides new information on the level of knowledge and awareness of BC risk factors, sign and symptoms and self-examination practice among young college girls. Moreover, this study advocates the need for design and implementation of a sustainable digital health model for active population BC screening, which is not being done currently.Social implicationsBC is a highly aggressive disease, which is now one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in India and world over. Although the knowledge of BC risk factors and its signs and symptoms have increased, the awareness of these elements among the general population at large is low and/or missing, especially in India. Furthermore, as a consequence of unorganized screening programs in the country, majority of women are presenting young with locally advanced disease. Understanding the existing level of knowledge and educating school, college and University students of the pertinent factors and screening practices such as BSE could drastically help in improving the self-screening and/or clinical examination rates. This could potentially lead to early detection and improved prognosis, thus ameliorating disease burden.Originality/valueThis study is one of the few studies conducted in India among young female college students belonging to non-medical backgrounds, delineating the level of knowledge and awareness of BC risk factors and signs and symptoms along with practice of early detection method such as BSE. The study has a considerable sample size and provides valuable evidence for a need to implement programs incorporating digital health models for accelerating awareness and screening of young girls in both rural and urban settings.
Background: Breast cancer keeps its importance as an important health problem in developing countries like Turkey. Therefore, breast cancer screening and early diagnosis are more important for these ...countries. Although there are debates about breast self- examination, it is still involved in breast cancer screening programs in many countries. Aim: This study aimed to determine university students' knowledge and practice of Breast Self-Examination (BSE). Materials and Methods: The study universe consisted of all the female students studying at a public university. Sample size of 161 was calculated for a predicted event frequency. The research data were collected using a questionnaire. Results: A total of 73.3% of the subjects students had heard about BSE. Only half of these students had obtained additional information about BSE. While half of the students indicated that they did perform BSE, 33.3% reported doing so at regular intervals. The majority of the students were aware of BSE and its purpose. Only about half stated, however, that they practice it. Those who practiced BSE were not knowledgeable about how and when to perform it. Conclusions: In developing countries, to have adequate knowledge of BSE of young women and to do BSE, it is important to develop a consciousness of breast health and an awareness of breast cancer at this age.
To assess women’s knowledge of personal breast cancer risk. Additionally, we aimed to determine how often physicians are discussing individualized risk assessments of breast cancer with their ...patients, and if those discussion affected risk perception. Surveys were distributed in radiology centers in New York and made available to patients presenting for routine mammography. As exact number of patients who viewed the survey is unknown, response rate could not be assessed. Data from the survey was used to calculate each patient’s personal breast cancer risk using the National Cancer Institute Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool. Each patient’s actual breast cancer risk was compared to her perceived risk. 15,006 subjects submitted the survey and 11,365 were included in the final analysis. Fourteen percent of women were accurate in their 5-year estimation as compared to calculated risk, and only 7% of respondents were accurate in their estimation of risk by 90 years of age. There was no association between time since discussion of breast cancer risk and accuracy of estimating personal breast cancer risk (
p
= 0.17). There was no difference in risk estimation accuracy between women who had ever or had never discussed risk with her physician (
p
= 0.1064). Patients’ perceived personal risk of developing breast cancer does not match the Gail model calculated risk. These findings hold true whether or not her physician had discussed personal breast cancer risk with her in the past. Further studies should determine effective strategies to educate patients about their breast cancer risk.
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