| Abstrakt: |
Background and Objective: Breast cancer is the most prevalent type of cancer among women in Iran. It is also known to be the most preventable. In view of the increase in the rate of breast cancer, especially in developing countries, women’s awareness, attitude, and behaviors with regard to breast cancer prevention should be improved. The present study aims to investigate breast cancer knowledge, attitude, and preventive behaviors and associated factors in women aged 20 years and above who visited the oncology research and treatment center in southern Fars. Materials and Methods: The present study is a descriptive, cross-sectional research. Sampling was carried out using the census method for four months. Data were collected using a demographics survey, a knowledge and attitude questionnaire, and a screening behaviors checklist. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS v. 16. The relationship between the attitudes and awareness of the subjects about breast cancer was assessed using Pearson correlation. The predictive factors in the subjects’ attitudes and awareness were determined using simple and multiple linear regression models. Results: A total of 391 women participated in the study. The participants’ average age and average age of marriage were 35.76 ± 11.14 and 20.20 ± 4.37 years, respectively. With regard to marital status, 82.4% were married. 82.4% of the participants were found to have a positive attitude, and 50.1% had satisfactory knowledge of breast cancer. Only 3.8% of participants performed a breast-self-examination regularly. 15.1% of the participants regularly visited a doctor every year, and 41.9% had never done mammography. Calculation of the Pearson correlation coefficient showed a positive direct correlation between the participants’ total knowledge and attitude scores (p-value < 0.05). In the multiple regression model, the variables of marital status, education, occupation, number of children, and acquaintance with breast cancer were significant predictors of attitude to breast cancer (p-value < 0.05); the variables of age, the couple’s education, and acquaintance with breast cancer were significant predictors of knowledge of breast cancer (p-value < 0.05). Conclusion: Increased knowledge and attitudes of breast cancer is expected to result in better prevention behaviors on the part of the society; however, in the present study and other similar studies conducted in Iran, despite the subjects’ positive attitudes and average to satisfactory awareness, preventive behaviors were unsatisfactory. Therefore, it is essential that healthcare facilities should develop effective awareness programs to encourage women to care about their health more and exercise behaviors which can help prevent breast cancer. |
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