Breast Cancer Knowledge, Attitude, Concepts and Related Effect of Education among Iraqi Women in Baghdad
Journal Title: IOSR Journal of Dental and Medical Sciences (IOSR-JDMS) - Year 2018, Vol 17, Issue 5
Abstract
Objective: The main aim of the study is to determine the level of knowledge, attitude and concepts about breast cancer among sample of Iraqi women attending the main breast cancer early detection center in Baghdad and to study the effect of education on them. Study Design: This is a descriptive cross - sectional study. Method: This cross-sectional study recruited 320 women attending the main breast cancer early detection center in Baghdad aged between (18–63years) collected on May 2010. The knowledge, attitude and concepts about breast cancer are assessed through answers of participants to a structured questionnaire (including six questions for studying the patient’s knowledge about correlation between breast cancer and lifestyle, sixteen questions for studying the patient’s concepts about breast cancer, and eleven questions to assess patient’s knowledge about breast cancer risk factors and demographic variables). Statistical analysis of data is done by application of (SPSS version 14) program. The sample is divided into four groups according to their level of education into (illiterate, primary school, intermediate and secondary school, and college and above) and compared their knowledge, attitude and concepts. Results: Results show that level of education of participants have variable effect on their knowledge, attitude and concepts about breast cancer, some in favor of higher educational level and it is significant (p value< 0.05) regarding knowledge about exercise and excessive intake of fatty diet correlated with breast cancer, while other in favor lower educational level and it is significant (p value< 0.05) regarding concepts like “breast cancer is a killer, dangerous and cannot be cured, caused by pollution, breast creams and body deodorants”, and on knowledge about certain risk factors of breast cancer (smoking, alcohol intake and childhood radiation) Fortunately only (3.5%) of the total sample thought that breast cancer is not curable, only (0.8%) of them thought that having breast lump do not draw attention, (7%) of them thought that breast cancer is infectious disease and only (7.4%) of them thought that breast cancer is not dangerous and easily cured. Unfortunately the mean score of participants’ knowledge about breast cancer risk factors is (28.9±26.63). Our results show that the lowest educational level group represented by illiterate and primary school have higher mean score of knowledge of breast cancer risk factors than the highest level group represented by secondary school and above with significant difference between them (p<0.05) Conclusion: Our conclusion is that the Iraqi women have poor attitude and bad concepts towards breast cancer as they have poor knowledge about breast cancer risk factors. Attitude towards breast cancer and practice of BSE can be enhanced through promotion of their knowledge about breast cancer, this can be achieved by promotion of teaching programs through visual media, symposiums, meetings, educational workshops and conferences, teaching folders and posters and by inserting such programs through the curriculum of intermediate, secondary school and college.
Authors and Affiliations
Raghad. A. Al- Eessa, Wafaa M. A. Al- Attar
Keywords
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- EP ID EP374414
- DOI 10.9790/0853-1705046067.
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