European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE OF BREAST SELF-EXAMINATION AMONG FEMALE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AT UNIVERSITY OF KORDOFAN, EL-OBEID CITY, NORTH KORDOFAN STATE, SUDAN, 2017

Kubra A. E. Hammad* and Musa A. O. Mohammed

ABSTRACT

Breast cancer is a global health concern and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among women,[25] It is the most common cancer among women in developed and developing countries.[1] It has been identified as a major public health problem in both developed and developing nations because of its high incidence-prevalence, over-burdened health system and added direct medical expenditure,[26]. A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess knowledge, attitude and practice of female undergraduate students toward breast self-examination at University of Kordofan, El-Obeid City, North Kordofan State, Sudan, which lasted from July to December 2017. A total of (373) registered female undergraduate students were selected, were participated (100% response rate). Filled a self-administered questionnaire that was selected using a proportionate stratified random sampling method, and a simple random sampling technique used to select sample size determined from each faculty. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package of Social Sciences "version (22.0) software". The findings showed that all female undergraduate students had heard about breast cancer. However, only (77.7%) acknowledged that it was common in the population under consideration. (86%) of respondents reported that breast cancer can be detected early. (93%) of the respondents had heard about breast self-examination, the major source of information about breast self-examination (47.7%) was mass media (TV and Radio). The majority (90.3%) of them reported that BSE is important in the early detection of cancer, but only (45.6%) of respondents examine their breasts themselves, (48.3%) of them examine their breasts monthly and (18.8%) of them done examine their breasts by palpate with minimum of three fingers. Majority (80.2%) of the participants believed that breast cancer is curable disease and (11.3%) of them reported that it is fatal.

Keywords: Breast self-examination, Kordofan, Breast cancer, Female, Undergraduate, Students