Predictors of breast cancer screening among women of reproductive age in Tanzania: Evidence from DHS 2022

Abstract

Background: Breast cancer is a global concern, with 2.3 million new cases and 685,000 deaths recorded in 2020, and projections of reaching 4.4 million cases by 2070. In Tanzania, it's the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women, often diagnosed at advanced stages, leading to poor outcomes. Only 5% of women in the country report undergoing breast cancer screening, the aim study is to determine factors associated with breast cancer screening in Tanzania.

Methods: This was analytical cross-sectional study among women of reproductive age in Tanzania, utilizing data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) which employed a two-stage probability sampling. A weighted sample of 15,189 women of reproductive age (15-49) was included in the study. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to examine factors associated with breast cancer screening. These results were presented using adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval.

Results: After controlling for other factors, the following factors remained significantly associated with breast cancer screening among women of reproductive age; age(AOR = 5.33, 95% CI 3.72, 7.63), being wealthy (AOR = 2.34, 95% CI 1.61, 3.38), residing in rural(AOR = 0.59, 95% CI 0.46, 0.763), being educated(AOR = 2.43, 95% CI 1.60, 3.68), being insured(AOR = 2.40, 95% CI 1.89, 3.06), healthcare facility visits in the past 12 months(AOR = 1.43, 95% CI 1.14, 1.78) and living in Northern zone (AOR = 2.43, 95% CI 1.42, 4.15) compared to western zone.

Conclusion: Breast cancer screening is still under-utilized and have shown to be marginalized in women of reproductive age. Upgrading diagnostic services, comprehensive health education and awareness campaigns are instrumental to increase utilization and reduction of burden of breast cancers in Tanzania.