Volume 24, Issue 102, March - April, 2020

Perception and awareness of Albaha University female students towards breast self-examination and breast cancer: A crosssectional observational study

Thamer Alghamdi¹, Abuobaida E.E. Abukhelaif², Abdullah A. S. Alzahrani³, Abdulraheem A. A. Alghamdi³, Ziad E.S. Alzahrani^3♦, Majed A. Almuafa³, Muteb S.M. Alrobai³, Abdulmohsin A.A. Alghamdi³, Areej E.S. Alzahrani⁴

¹Assistant Prof; Department of surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Albaha University; Saudi Arabia
²Assistant Prof; Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Albaha University; Saudi Arabia
³Medical interns, Faculty of Medicine, Albaha University; Saudi Arabia
⁴Medical student, Faculty of Medicine, Albaha University; Saudi Arabia

^♦Corresponding author
Ziad E.S. Alzahrani Medical interns, Faculty of Medicine, Albaha University; Saudi Arabia Email: Ziad5050@hotmail.com

ABSTRACT

Background: Breast cancer incidence rates among Arab women have increased during the last decades. In Saudi Arabia, according to the Ministry of Health, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of awareness and perception towards breast cancer among the students of Albaha University, Saudi Arabia. Methodology: A cross-sectional institutional-based survey conducted from 15th February to 15th April 2019, among the students of Albaha University, Saudi Arabia. A sample of two hundred fifty female students was selected randomly from different faculties of Albaha University. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS- version 22.0) was used to analyze the data. Results: A total of (221) responses were analyzed with a response rate of (94.1%). Most of the respondents (91%) were in the age group of more than 20 years. Nearly all (98.6%) of the respondents told that they well knew breast cancer and were aware of cancer as an illness and (20.8%) revealed that they have family history of breast cancer. Their source of information was breast cancer awareness campaigns (68.1%). Regarding breast self-examination, less than half (46.6%) of those who knew about breast cancer had heard about breast self-examination (BSE). However, a considerable proportion (85.4%) of respondents does practice breast self-examination but irregularly. Conclusions: The awareness of Albaha University Female Students regarding breast cancer was satisfactory despite the hesitancy towards practicing breast self-examination which needs more elaboration and awareness campaigns.

Keywords: : Albaha University, Awareness, Breast cancer, Breast self-examination

Medical Science, 2020, 24(102), 673-679

PDF