Knowledge of Breast Cancer and Its Early Detection Measures among Female Students, in Mekelle University, Tigray Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Breast cancer is the most common of all cancers in women both in the developed and less developed world. Its incidence rate varies from 19.3 per 100,000 women in Eastern Africa to 89.7 per 100,000 women in Western Europe. Globally, it claims the lives of 508, 000 women per year. Since risk reduction strategies cannot eliminate the majority of breast cancers, early detectionremains the cornerstone of breast cancer control. Health education and communication have been found critical to promote breast cancer prevention and screening strategies. However, to our knowledge no previous research was done in the study area and awareness about breast cancer among Ethiopian women is not well documented. This paper, therefore, attempts to assess the level of Knowledge of breast cancer and its early detection measures among female students in Mekelle University, Ethiopia.Method:An institution based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2013 to June, 2013 on randomly selected female students.. Multistage sampling technique was employed to select the study participants. A pre-tested structured questionnaire wasused to collect the data. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS. Frequencies,means, and standard deviations were computed.Result: In this study, 760 studentsparticipated making a response rate of 96%. The finding of this study showed that respondents with good knowledge score for risk factors, early detections measures and warning signs of breast cancer was 1.4%, 3.6% and 22.1% respectively. The majority 477 (62.8%) of participants practiced self-breast examination. Of the respondents who practiced breast self-examination, 201 (71.0%) reported that they practiced monthly.Conclusion: The finding of this study revealed that respondents had poor knowledge of risk factors, early detection measures and early warning signs of breast cancer. This implies that the health care system particularly policy makers, health care managers, health care professionals and community based health extension workers are giving limited attention to non-communicable disease like breast cancer despite their public health burden. Moreover, very few of the respondents have practiced self and clinical breast examination. Therefore, the Ministry of health of Ethiopia and other stalk holders should promote provision of information, education and communication targeting women, family, and the general community to increase their awareness about breast cancer and its early detection measure.