Early Detection of Breast Cancer: Knowledge, Perception and Barriers among Females: A Cross Sectional Study at Zagazig District. | ||||
| The Egyptian Journal of Community Medicine | ||||
| Article 2, Volume 36, Issue 4, October 2018, Page 11-22 PDF (402.06 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejcm.2018.22992 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Background: Early detection of breast cancer can dramatically change the prognosis. Perception towards breast cancer and screening methods is a crucial determinant of early detection. Objectives: To assess women’s perception towards breast cancer and screening methods according to the subscales of health belief model and to identify the level of knowledge about cancer breast, early detection methods and the barriers against adapting screening behavior and to assess the presence of screening services in PHC. Method: a cross sectional study was carried out on 270 women from 13 randomly selected primary health care units at Zagazig district. Champion’s Health Belief Model Scale was used to assess perception. A structured questionnaire was used to assess knowledge about breast cancer. Results: More than 50% of the participants had a perception score less than the mean in all health belief model subscales, except in perception of benefits and barriers. Educated, working women with enough income and positive family history had more perception of susceptibility, severity, self-efficacy with lower perception of barriers. Only 55.2% of participants had fair total knowledge score about breast cancer. 37 % and 35.2 % of them conducted breast self-examination and clinical breast examination respectively. The main perceived barriers were towards clinical breast examination; 66% found it costly, 61% agreed that it is painful and 56% reported it as embarrassing behavior. Women with fair knowledge had higher perception in all scales of health belief model except perception of barriers. 53.8% of primary health units conducted health education sessions about breast cancer and mammogram was present in one urban center. Conclusion: More than half of the sample had low perception score and low total knowledge score regarding breast cancer and screening methods. The reported barriers were pain, embarrassment and expensive cost for clinical breast examination. Not all primary health care units provide awareness campaign or clinical examination of breast cancer. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| health belief model; breast cancer; Screening; perception | ||||
|
Statistics Article View: 238 PDF Download: 1,041 |
||||
