Knowledge, Attitude and Behavior of Healthcare Providers towards Breast Cancer in Malaysia: a Systematic Review

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Malaysia. Therefore, it is highly important forthe public to be educated on breast cancer and to know the steps to detect it early on. Healthcare providers arein the prime position to provide such education to the public due to their high knowledge regarding health andtheir roles in healthcare. The present systematic review involved studies conducted in recent years to analyzethe knowledge, attitudes and behavior of Malaysian healthcare providers regarding breast cancer, in attemptsto obtain an overall picture of how well equipped our healthcare providers are to provide optimal breast cancereducation, and to see their perceptions and actual involvement in said education. The systematic review wasconducted via a primary search of various databases and journal websites, and a secondary search of referencesused by eligible studies. Criteria for eligibility included being published from the year 2008 till present, beingconducted in Malaysia, and being written in the English language. A total of two studies were eligible for thisreview. Findings show that Malaysian future and current healthcare providers have moderate knowledge onbreast cancer, have a positive towards involvement of breast cancer education, but have poor actual involvement.