title: Awareness and breast cancer risk factors: perception and screening practices among females in a tertiary institution in Southwest Nigeria.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  this study is aimed at assessing the practices of breast cancer screening and risk perception of women of reproductive age group in a tertiary institution in Osun state.
  
  
  METHODS
  It was a descriptive cross sectional study carried out at the Federal polytechnic, Ede. A total of 393 eligible respondents recruited using a stratified random sampling technique, were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaire after obtaining a verbal consent from them.
  
  
  RESULTS
  About two thirds (67.9%) of those who had heard of breast cancer knew that there were screening methods available. Of these 91.6% knew breast self examination, 93.2% knew clinical breast examination and only a third 32.8% knew mammography as a screening method. About half of respondents who were aware of breast cancer practice breast self examination. Only 28 (7.6%) of the respondents had ever visited any clinic for breast cancer screening, and 85.7% (24) of the visit was for clinical breast examination while mammography was rarely done (14.3%). Eighty one per cent of those who were aware of breast cancer believed that screening had a role to play.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study shows that though awareness of breast cancer among respondents was good, the practice of breast cancer screening was poor among the respondents and even worse with screening with mammography. A major recommendation is that initiatives to reduce morbidity and mortality due to breast cancer among young females in the southwest Nigeria should include education on risk factors, early signs and methods of screening for breast cancer.
authors: Department of Community Medicine,Ladoke Akintola College of Health Sciences PMB 4400, Osogbo, Osun State Nigeria. nike_bello@yahoo.com
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Olugbenga-Bello
authors: E A
authors: EA
authors: Oladele
authors: T O
authors: TO
authors: Bello
authors: J O
authors: JO
authors: Ojo
authors: A S
authors: AS
authors: Oguntola
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008403:Mass Screening; D009549:Nigeria; D012307:Risk Factors; D016353:Self-Examination; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult