Okobia Michael N, Bunker Clareann H, Okonofua Friday E, Osime Usifo
Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
World J Surg Oncol. 2006 Feb 21;4:11. doi: 10.1186/1477-7819-4-11.
Late presentation of patients at advanced stages when little or no benefit can be derived from any form of therapy is the hallmark of breast cancer in Nigerian women. Recent global cancer statistics indicate rising global incidence of breast cancer and the increase is occurring at a faster rate in populations of the developing countries that hitherto enjoyed low incidence of the disease. Worried by this prevailing situation and with recent data suggesting that health behavior may be influenced by level of awareness about breast cancer, a cross-sectional study was designed to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of community-dwelling women in Nigeria towards breast cancer.
One thousand community-dwelling women from a semi-urban neighborhood in Nigeria were recruited for the study in January and February 2000 using interviewer-administered questionnaires designed to elicit sociodemographic information and knowledge, attitude and practices of these women towards breast cancer. Data analysis was carried out using Statistical Analysis Software (SAS) version 8.2.
Study participants had poor knowledge of breast cancer. Mean knowledge score was 42.3% and only 214 participants (21.4%) knew that breast cancer presents commonly as a painless breast lump. Practice of breast self examination (BSE) was low; only 432 participants (43.2%) admitted to carrying out the procedure in the past year. Only 91 study participants (9.1%) had clinical breast examination (CBE) in the past year. Women with higher level of education (X2 = 80.66, p < 0.0001) and those employed in professional jobs (X2 = 47.11, p < 0.0001) were significantly more knowledgeable about breast cancer. Participants with higher level of education were 3.6 times more likely to practice BSE (Odds ratio [OR] = 3.56, 95% Confidence interval [CI] 2.58-4.92).
The results of this study suggest that community-dwelling women in Nigeria have poor knowledge of breast cancer and minority practice BSE and CBE. In addition, education appears to be the major determinant of level of knowledge and health behavior among the study participants. We recommend the establishment and sustenance of institutional framework and policy guidelines that will enhance adequate and urgent dissemination of information about breast cancer to all women in Nigeria.
尼日利亚女性乳腺癌的一个显著特征是患者在疾病晚期才前来就诊，此时任何形式的治疗都几乎无法带来益处或根本没有益处。近期全球癌症统计数据显示，全球乳腺癌发病率呈上升趋势，且在那些以往该疾病发病率较低的发展中国家，发病率上升速度更快。鉴于这种普遍情况，同时近期数据表明健康行为可能受到乳腺癌知晓程度的影响，因此开展了一项横断面研究，旨在评估尼日利亚社区女性对乳腺癌的知识、态度和行为。
2000年1月和2月，采用访谈式问卷对来自尼日利亚一个半城市社区的1000名社区女性进行招募，以获取她们的社会人口学信息以及她们对乳腺癌的知识、态度和行为。使用统计分析软件（SAS）8.2版进行数据分析。
研究参与者对乳腺癌的了解程度较差。平均知识得分是42.3%，只有214名参与者（21.4%）知道乳腺癌通常表现为无痛性乳房肿块。乳房自我检查（BSE）的实施率较低；过去一年中只有432名参与者（43.2%）承认进行过该检查。过去一年中只有91名研究参与者（9.1%）接受过临床乳房检查（CBE）。受教育程度较高的女性（X2 = 80.66，p < 0.0001）以及从事专业工作的女性（X2 = 47.11，p < 0.0001）对乳腺癌的了解明显更多。受教育程度较高的参与者进行BSE的可能性是其他人的3.6倍（优势比[OR] = 3.56，95%置信区间[CI] 2.58 - 4.92）。
本研究结果表明，尼日利亚社区女性对乳腺癌的了解程度较差，进行BSE和CBE的比例较低。此外，教育似乎是研究参与者知识水平和健康行为的主要决定因素。我们建议建立并维持机构框架和政策指南，以加强向尼日利亚所有女性充分且及时地传播有关乳腺癌的信息。
