[Knowledge and practices of women in Iraqi universities on breast self examination].
This study evaluated the knowledge and practice of breast self-examination (BSE), among a sample of educated Iraqi women. The study sample comprised 858 women aged 18-62 years affiliated to 6 major Iraqi universities, categorized according to occupation as teaching staff (11.5%), administrative staff (18.0%) and students (70.5%). Data were collected by a self-completed questionnaire. In all, 93.9% of the women had heard about BSE, the main source of information was television (39.9%), doctors (18.4%) and the awareness campaign of the Iraqi National Breast Cancer Research Programme (11.6%). Only 53.9% of the women practised BSE; the most common excuses by those that did not were lack of knowledge of the significance of BSE (42.0%) and lack of confidence in their ability to perform BSE (39.5%). Just over 38% did not seek medical advice if they experienced signs/symptoms of breast disease, attributing that to reasons of timidity, lack of time or fear of discovering cancer. The majority (88%) of the women were willing to instruct others in BSE (aftertraining), 40% of whom were interested in collaborating with the National Breast Cancer Awareness Programme in Iraq.
Baghdad University Medical College, Baghdad, Iraq. nadalwan@yahoo.com
N
N
Alwan
W
W
Al Attar
R
R
Eliessa
Z
Z
Al-Madfaie
F
F
Nedal
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D016504:Breast Self-Examination / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D054626:Consumer Health Information / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007493:Iraq; D008875:Middle Aged; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult