title: Evaluation of the impact of a breast cancer awareness program in rural Ghana: a cross-sectional survey.
abstract: Community awareness is crucial to early detection of breast cancer in low- and middle-income countries. In Ghana 60% of the cases are detected at late stages. Breast Care International (BCI) is a Ghanaian non-governmental organization dedicated to raising breast cancer awareness. A cross-sectional survey was designed to assess the impact of BCI program on knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) toward breast cancer among women from rural communities of Ghana. A total of 232 women were interviewed in June 2011 in the Ashanti region; of these 131 participants were from a community that received the BCI program in August 2010 (intervention group) and 101 from another community that received the program post-survey (referent group). Data analysis was performed using Epi-Info version 3.5.3. Knowledge about breast cancer among participants who received the program was better than among those who did not. Only 53.5% of participants from the referent group knew that breast cancer usually appears as painless breast lump when compared to 82.3% from the intervention group. Participants who attended the program were significantly more likely to obtain higher knowledge scores (odds ratio (OR) = 2.10, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.14-3.86) and to state practicing breast self-examination (OR = 12.29, 95% CI = 5.31-28.48). The BCI program improved KAP toward breast cancer. Further research is warranted to provide stronger evidence that the program improves breast cancer early detection.
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology for Cancer Prevention, Team of HIV, Cancer and Global Health, Inserm U897 and Centre René Labusquière, Bordeaux Segalen University, Bordeaux, France; IDIBELL, Institut Català d'Oncologia-Catalan Institute of Oncology, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mena
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wiafe-Addai
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sauvaget
authors.forename: Ibrahim A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Seth A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Wiafe
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dabis
authors.forename: Benjamin O
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Malvy
authors.forename: Annie J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Sasco
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001364:Awareness; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016504:Breast Self-Examination; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005869:Ghana / Q000453:epidemiology; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012424:Rural Population; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Ghana; awareness program; breast cancer; early detection