LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, AND PRACTICES REGARDING BREAST SELF-EXAMINATION AMONG UNDERGRADUATE NURSING STUDENTS OF KPK PAKISTAN

Main Article Content

Sheraz Khan
Noor ul islam
Jehan Badshah
Abdul Hameed
Hina Ajmal
Nadia Sajid
Sabiha Khanum

Keywords

BREAST SELF EXAMINATION, KNOWLEDGE, UNDERGRADUATE NURSES, PRACTICE, ATTITUDE

Abstract

Objective: This study's objective was to assess female undergraduate students' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding BSE in order to gather information that would be useful in developing interventions.


Background: Breast cancer remains the most common type of cancer diagnosed and the leading cause of female death. A breast self-exam (BSE) is a regular check-up of their own breasts by a female to check for any alarming changes or abnormal growth that require medical attention. In order to find breast cancer early and reduce the risk of breast cancer death, breast self-examination (BSE) has always been recommended.


Material and method: The study was carried out using a descriptive cross-sectional exploratory design. The data was collected from 154 undergraduate nursing students from different nursing collages of KPK. The time frame of data collection was from September 01, 2020 to September 24, 2022.


Result:   Eighty-seven percent received information about BSE and 13% received information regarding BSE. Most of the information comes from radio, mass media, and newspapers followed by health care professionals. The majority of females (90.7 percent) described their menstrual cycle as regular. The student’s overall knowledge level was good regarding BSE. More than four-score 83.3% of the participants knew that all women should take the BSE and more than half of the participants do it regularly.


Conclusion: The majority of students knew what BSE was and what it was used for; the students' favorable attitudes towards BSE were encouraging. More than half of the participants do it regularly. They could prevent early detection of breast cancer and impede screening programs.

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