Knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding breast cancer among women of Kaduna Metropolis

Abstract

Context The incidence of breast cancer disease is on the rise in Nigeria. There is an urgent need for adequate knowledge regarding the disease among the risky populations for necessary self-care practices as an intervention measure. Aim The main purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of women concerning breast cancer in Kaduna Metropolis of Kaduna State. Settings and design It was a cross-sectional study conducted in Kaduna Metropolis. Materials and methods Semistructured questionnaires were administered to 300 respondents who consisted of women within the ages of 18 years and older and residing in Kaduna Metropolis. Statistical analysis The collected data were analyzed using the IBM statistical package for social sciences, version 20.0 software programmer. Results Although the results showed that most of the respondents (93%) were aware of breast cancer through different sources of information, their average knowledge scores on risk factors (30.36), signs, and symptoms (48.7%) were below average; however, their knowledge on the different screening methods was slightly above average (53.8%). Conclusion The result showed respondents’ high levels of awareness on breast cancer but poor knowledge on the risk factors, signs and symptoms, and screening practices despite their positive attitudes toward the disease.