Breast Cancer Awareness among Women in Western Amazon: a Population Based Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

<br /> <strong><span style="font-size: small;">Background: </span></strong><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;">A general lack of women`s awareness of breast cancer has been one of the barriers to screening and early presentation. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate levels of knowledge about risk factors, and early warning signs of breast cancer, and to determine factors associated with better levels of comprehension. </span></span><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Methods: </span></strong><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;">A population-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 478 women over 40 years old, living in Rio Branco city, western Amazon. All were interviewed using the "Breast cancer knowledge, attitudes and practice scale", developed by American Cancer Society. </span></span><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Results: </span></strong><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Among the respondents, only 28.6% of women were aware that advanced age highly increases the risk. Around 30% of participants recognized nipple retraction as a sign of breast cancer. Breast cancer knowledge varied according to age in such a way that the mean scores were high from 40-69 years and decreased </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;">dramatically among those aged ≥70 (β=-0.06,p=0.031). Access to health services such as the Pap-test (β=2.45,p=0.027) and attending a gynecologist in the past two years (β=1.88,p=0.005) were statistically associated with the score of </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;">breast cancer knowledge. </span></span><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Conclusion: </span></strong><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;">The findings indicate that women living in urban areas, having gynecological </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;">assessment, considering herself at high risk of developing breast cancer and thinking that breast cancer is a fatal disease are statistically asso </span></span>