Knowledge and Attitude towards Breast Self-examination among Female Undergraduate Students of Kwara State University, Malete, Nigeria

Abstract

Breast cancer continues to pose a significant global health burden, impacting women in both industrialized and developing nations. Breast self-examination (BSE) continues to be a cost-effective and convenient approach for the timely detection of breast cancer in Nigeria. Hence, this investigation sought to analyze the knowledge and attitude towards breast self-examination among female undergraduate students enrolled at Kwara State University, Malete, Nigeria. The research employed a descriptive cross-sectional design, which involved a sample of 350 female undergraduate students representing the target demographic. The data was collected by the utilization of a semi-structured questionnaire and subsequently subjected to analysis employing fundamental statistical techniques, including frequencies, percentages, and chi-square analysis. The researcher utilized a significance level of p=0.05. Approximately 41.7% of the participants were into the age range of 20-24 years, while 30.9% and 27.4% were situated within the age brackets of 15-19 years and 25-29 years, respectively. A majority of the participants (72.0%) shown awareness regarding breast self-examination (BSE), whereas 55.2% possessed knowledge on the efficacy of BSE in detecting breast cancer at an early stage. Additionally, it was shown that 71.4% of the participants possessed the knowledge to conduct Breast Self-Examination (BSE). Among these individuals, 38.1% reported performing BSE on a monthly basis, while 38.5% indicated performing it weekly. Furthermore, 23.4% of the respondents reported engaging in daily BSE. In general, the study found that 72.0% of the participants exhibited a satisfactory level of knowledge on breast self-examination (BSE), while 97.1% of the respondents displayed a positive attitudinal disposition towards engaging in BSE. Therefore, it is recommended that the school administration enhance their efforts in conducting educational campaigns aimed at providing precise instructions to female students regarding the appropriate method of conducting breast self-examinations.