Knowledge, practices, and perceived barriers on breast self-examination of female college students: Experience from a local higher education institution

Autor: Raphael Enrique Tiongco, Eliezer John Castro, Alyssa Denisse Baco, Sarah Casiguran, Ma. Allona De Jesus, Evangel Dimatulac, John Dominic Ferreras, Chloe Gilbuena, Angelie Rose Sunglao, Jennifer Santillan, Annalyn Navarro
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Journal of Education and Health Promotion, Vol 13, Iss 1, Pp 413-413 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2277-9531
2319-6440
DOI: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_1879_23
Popis: BACKGROUND: Breast self-examination (BSE) is an inexpensive, harmless screening tool for finding breast cancer. This study examines the knowledge, practices, and perceived barriers of female college students from a local higher education institution (HEI) regarding BSE, focusing on those in the reproductive age group. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three hundred sixty (360) female college students, including 226 health sciences majors and 134 non-health sciences majors, were selected through criteria sampling. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire to assess knowledge, practices, and perceived barriers. RESULTS: Key findings reveal that despite excellent BSE practices (52.5%), a significant proportion of respondents (51.7%) demonstrated insufficient knowledge about BSE. The main barriers to BSE execution were fear of discovering concerning findings and fear of being diagnosed with breast cancer. Health science majors exhibited significantly higher knowledge and practices than non-health science students, perceiving lower barriers. Age was found to have no significant impact on the variables examined. Majors and perceived barriers were not associated with BSE, but knowledge showed a significant association. Despite their excellent practices, participants’ unsatisfactory knowledge regarding BSE suggests the need for effective interventions. Barriers primarily stemmed from fear, including the fear of a breast cancer diagnosis and the fear of learning about potential issues. CONCLUSION: The study highlights the association between knowledge and BSE practices, emphasizing the importance of knowledge development and overcoming perceived barriers to improve BSE practices and encourage greater engagement.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
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