Knowledge and practice of breast self-examination among sample of women in Shatra/Dhi-Qar/Iraq

Breast Self-Examination: Knowledge, Practice, and Beliefs Among Females in Jordan

Introduction

Worldwide, breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. It is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among females in Jordan.

Objectives

The current study aimed to evaluate breast cancer knowledge levels and practice and assess health beliefs regarding the model supporting self-breast examination (BSE) in a group of females aged between 20 and 60 in Jordan.

Methods

Descriptive, cross-sectional, correlational design was used; Two hundred females participated in the study, employing convenient sampling. The adjusted version of the Champion's Health Belief Model Scale (CHBMS) was utilized to collect the data.

Results

Most participants were married (F = 128, 64%), and the mean of the participants' age was (36.18, SD = 10.87). About 73 participants (36.5%) don't practice BSE; however, 53 participants (26.5%) plan to practice BSE in the future monthly. The logistic regression model showed that the impact of confidence as positive predictive value on practicing BSE in the last year (B = 0.141, p < .001) and this year (B = 0.130, p < .001) was statistically significant.

Conclusion

Implications for practice include identifying culturally specific barriers and improving health education programs to trigger breast self-examination utilization.

Psychosocial Aspects of Female Breast Cancer in the Middle East and North Africa

Breast cancer, the most common cancer among women in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, is associated with social and psychological implications deriving from women's socio-cultural contexts. Examining 74 articles published between 2007 and 2019, this literature/narrative review explores the psychosocial aspects of female breast cancer in the MENA region. It highlights socio-cultural barriers to seeking help and socio-political factors influencing women's experience with the disease. In 17 of 22 Arab countries, common findings emerge which derive from shared cultural values. Findings indicate that women lack knowledge of breast cancer screening (BCS) and breast cancer self-examination (BSE) benefits/techniques due to a lack of physicians' recommendations, fear, embarrassment, cultural beliefs, and a lack of formal and informal support systems. Women in rural areas or with low socioeconomic status further lack access to health services. Women with breast cancer, report low self-esteem due to gender dynamics and a tendency towards fatalism. Collaboration between mass media, health and education systems, and leading social-religious figures plays a major role in overcoming psychological and cultural barriers, including beliefs surrounding pain, fear, embarrassment, and modesty, particularly for women of lower socioeconomic status and women living in crises and conflict zones.

Practice and Barriers toward Breast Self-Examination among Palestinian Women in Gaza City, Palestine

Breast self-examination (BSE) is one of many first-line screening practices aimed at early detection and prevention of fatal outcomes of breast cancer. The present study aimed to identify Palestinian women's practices, awareness, and barriers to BSE. Using descriptive-analytical methods, a previously validated questionnaire was administered to a conveniently selected sample of women. The study was conducted among women who visited primary health clinics (PHCs) in Gaza City. A total of 390 participants who met the selection criteria answered the self-administered questionnaires. We used SPSS version 24.0 to analyze the data. The findings suggest that the practice of BSE among women in Gaza is low, with only 40% of the study participants reporting that they never practiced BSE before, even though 76.7% reported that they were aware of BSE. In general, the main barriers to BSE practices were that participants had wrong perceptions and lacked knowledge about BSE. Others also reported fear of detecting breast cancer as a barrier. The practice of BSE among Palestinian women in the Gaza Strip is low and marred with trivial issues as barriers that could be eliminated with dedicated and extensive educational campaigns in the area.