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. 2022 May 6:10:838579.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.838579. eCollection 2022.

What Is the Current State of Awareness, Knowledge, and Attitudes Toward Breast Cancer? A Cross-Sectional Survey Among Health and Non-health College Students

Md Ashraful Islam  1 , Dhfer Mahdi AlShayban  1 , Zeb-Un- Nisa  2 , Ghadeer Abdulwahab Mohammed Al-Hawaj  3 , Ghadeer Hani Ali Al-Eid  3 , Atheer Mohammed Moqbel Alenazi  3 , Zubda Malik  4 , Muhammad Bilal Maqsood  5   6 , Azfar Athar Ishaqui  5   6   7 , Zahida Akbar  5   8   9   10 , Muhammad Shahid Iqbal  11 , Mohammad Akbar Hossain  12 , Mohammed Alnuhait  13 , Abdul Haseeb  13
Affiliations

What Is the Current State of Awareness, Knowledge, and Attitudes Toward Breast Cancer? A Cross-Sectional Survey Among Health and Non-health College Students

Md Ashraful Islam et al. Front Public Health. .

Abstract

Objective: To document breast cancer (BC) knowledge, awareness, and attitudes among female undergraduate students studying at health and non-health colleges.

Methods: A 3-month cross-sectional study was conducted among female undergraduate students studying at health and non-health subject colleges affiliated to a public university. Convenience sampling was employed, and a previously validated questionnaire available in English and Arabic languages was used. Multiple linear regression was used to report the predictors of BC knowledge. A two-tailed p-value of < 0.05 was considered significant. The study was approved by an ethics committee.

Results: A total of 506 responses were analyzed. The mean knowledge score was 13.98 ± 4.1. The findings of the surveyed students suggested that more than 55% of the students had an acceptable level of knowledge. By education sector, approximately 70% and 40% of health and non-health college students, respectively, had an acceptable level of knowledge. The mean difference in knowledge scores between students of health and non-health colleges was significant (p < 0.001) as students at health colleges had a higher score. Age, college type and the presence of the disease in family/relatives were significant predictors of students' BC knowledge (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: By comparing it with previous evidence, the knowledge of BC has improved. The role of awareness campaigns as an information medium for students from non-health backgrounds is greatly appreciated. Moreover, the internet and electronic media have emerged as new sources of information for non-health college students, and therefore, more efforts are needed to utilize this medium in empowering this student population in understanding of this disease.

Keywords: NLM); Saudi Arabia (KSA); attitudes; awareness of disease; breast cancer; health knowledge (source: MeSH; students.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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