Breast
cancer is a major health problem in the world. It is the most common cancer in
women and is equally the leading cause of cancer death in women. Though in
controversy Breast self-examination (BSE) remains a useful tool in early
diagnosis of breast cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the
knowledge, attitude and practice of BSE amongst women in Yaoundé and Monatele.
We carried out a cross sectional study in two communities of Cameron over a
period of eight months, targeting females older than 15 years. After obtaining
authorization, we randomly interviewed 402 consenting participants, using a
pretested questionnaire. Data were entered using CS Pro 7.3 and analysed using
SPSS 23. Of a total of 402 participants, 256 (63.7%) in Monatele and 146 (36.3%)
in Yaoundé VI, the mean age was 26.55 ± 9.57 years. Exactly 50% (201) had
earlier heard of BSE. Health personnel and media represented the main sources
of information on BSE. Of the total, 46 (11.4%) knew BSE should be done
monthly. Fifty-three percent had poor knowledge and 51.0% had a generally low
attitude towards BSE. Out of 402 participants, 65.2% reported not practicing
BSE. For those practicing, 71.6% had poor practices. The main reason for not
practicing was lack of knowledge. Poor knowledge increased poor practice. In
conclusion half of the women had heard about BSE even though the majority had a
poor knowledge on BSE and very low overall attitude and practice. Health
personnel and media played a key role in passing of information. Increasing the
number of health campaigns, multiplying TV shows and health talks about breast
self-examination will improve knowledge and hence attitude and practice.
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