Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Breast Self-Examination among Female Secondary School Students in Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

Breast cancer is a major public health problem and a primary cause of cancer-related deaths among women globally. . The descriptive cross-sectional survey involved 348 female senior secondary school students, with mean age 15±1.2. Only 9.5% had good knowledge of BC and BSE. Major sources of information were Radio/TV (82.5%) and health workers (81.6%). More than half (56.0%) had positive attitude; only 101 (29%) had ever practiced BSE while majority (74.6%) did not know how to perform it. Association existed between knowledge and practice. Those with good knowledge are more likely to have positive attitude towards BSE (OR=3.385, 95%CI, 1.249-9.172). Teaching BSE and issues about breast cancer as early as possible will go a long way to encourage positive behaviour towards BSE and increase the chances of adherence to BSE practice in the future