Knowledge and Practice of Breast Self-Examination among Undergraduate Midwifery Students of the University for Development Studies, Ghana
Ruth Nimota Nukpezah
Department of Preventive Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, University for Development Studies, P.O. Box TL1350, Tamale Northern Region, Ghana.
Rita Lariba Alenyorige
Department of Preventive Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, University for Development Studies, P.O. Box TL1350, Tamale Northern Region, Ghana.
Inusah Abdul-Wahab
Department of Global Health, School of Public Health, University for Development, P.O. Box TL1350, Tamale, Northern Region, Ghana.
Felicia Maltiba Asaana
Ghana Health Service, Kpatua Community Health Planning and Service, Garu District, Upper-East Region, Ghana.
Grace Adinga
Ghana Health Service, Kpatua Community Health Planning and Service, Garu District, Upper-East Region, Ghana.
Asumah Mubarick Nungbaso
Ghana Health Service, Kintampo Municipal Hospital, P.O. Box 192, Kintampo, Bono-East Region, Ghana.
Edem Kojo Dzantor
*
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University for Development Studies, P.O. Box TL1350, Tamale Northern Region, Ghana.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Against the background of the worldwide harm caused by breast cancer, as well as the benefits of early detection through simple techniques such as breast self-examination, this study investigated the knowledge and practice of breast self-examination among, midwifery undergraduate students of the University for Development Studies, Tamale-Ghana.
Methods: The study is an institutional-based descriptive cross-sectional survey conducted among second-year female students at the Midwifery Department of the University for Development Studies. The data was collected through a pre-tested structured paper based-questionnaire. The data were analyzed descriptively and presented in frequencies, percentages, tables and figure.
Results: The study recruited 100 participants with an age range between 20 and 39 years with the majority within 20-24 years. The overall knowledge score was 73.0%, a majority of the participants indicated practising breast self-examination (81.0%), but with a low practice score of (49.0%). The study found significant associations between practices of breast self-examination, age (p= 0.022) and marital status (p=0.001) of study participants.
Conclusion: The study found high knowledge of breast self-examination with the majority of study participants saying that they practise breast self-examination. However, the overall practices score of breast-self-examination was relatively low. Additional efforts by the directorate of health services at universities including our study setting are needed to increase knowledge and practices of breast self-examination among students, irrespective of their programme of study.
Keywords: Knowledge, practices, breast self-examination