Breast self-examination practice and associated factors among women of reproductive age in southeast Ethiopia

Abstract

Regular breast self-examination is the most cost-effective method for early detection of breast cancer, especially in resource-limited countries. However, breast self-examination practice was low among reproductive-age women. Objective This study aims to evaluate breast self-examination practice and associated factors among women of reproductive age in southeast Ethiopia. Methods A convergent parallel mixed-methods study design was conducted on 836 women of reproductive age. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used for the quantitative part of the study and supplemented by focus group discussions. A database was created using Epi-info version 3.5.3, and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regressions were done to examine the effect of explanatory variables. Variables with p -value <0.05 during multivariable logistic regressions were considered as significantly associated with the dependent variable. Thematic data analysis was carried out for the qualitative study. Result Out of 836 total participants, only 20.7% had ever heard about breast self-examination practice. Also, only 13.2% of the mothers had practiced breast self-examinations. Even though the majority of the participants during focused group discussions had knowledge about breast cancer screening, most of them stated that breast self-examination was not practiced among them. Maternal age, mother’s level of education, and previous history of breast examination by health professionals were significant predictors of breast self-examination practices. Conclusion This study reported a low prevalence of breast self-examination practice. Therefore, enhancing women’s education and encouraging breast examination by health professionals are essential to increase the proportion of women performing breast self-examination.