Breast Self Examination: Knowledge and Practice of Young Female Students towards Breast Self Examination and Breast Cancer

Abstract

Objective of the study is to assess the knowledge towards breast self-examination (BSE) of breasts among young adults in various districts of Sindh province in Pakistan. Descriptive cross sectional study design was used to conduct the study at Larkana. A total of 171 young female students participated in the study including students of matric, intermediate, undergraduate and postgraduate level. Participants were given a self-administered questionnaire designed to assess the knowledge of students towards SBE and Breast cancer. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical tests in SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 23.0). A total 171 young adults participated in the study. Only a 2.33% were married. Most of the participants (47.36%) had intermediate level education, 43.85% were undergraduate, 8.18% had a family member with breast cancer, 38.6% of the respondents didn’t know that breast cancer is the most fatal cancer in women all over the world. A 43.8% considered that family history as a risk factor for the breast cancer, 61.4% considered that pain in the breast is symptom for the breast cancer, 83.63% of participants didn’t know how to perform breast self-examination, 88.3% of the participants were not practicing self-breast examination. It was concluded that most of the young students in various districts of Sindh province in Pakistan do not have reasonable knowledge towards Self-breast examination and do not practice the same in routine life.