Franco Gabrielle, Herrera Igor Martin R, Castro Karen Vanessa H, Chattu Vijay K, Sunil Thankam
Emergency and Acute Infectious Disease Unit, Texas Department of State Health Services, Austin, USA.
Public Health, University of Guadalajara, Guadalajara, MEX.
Cureus. 2022 Jan 17;14(1):e21317. doi: 10.7759/cureus.21317. eCollection 2022 Jan.
Self breast examination (SBE) has been recommended as an important preventative practice for the early identification of breast cancer in women. However, our understanding of women's knowledge, attitudes, and practices of self breast examination in Nicaragua is limited. In the present study, we conducted a cross-sectional study of women aged 18 years and over (n=500) living in selected urban and rural areas of Nicaragua. Measures included the survey reflected knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and practices related to self breast examination. We compared these measures between women living in urban and rural areas and women aged 18-39 years and 40+ years. Using a t-test, we tested the significance of these differentials. Results indicate widespread and significant differentials in basic knowledge and behaviors on self-breast examination practices among women living in rural and urban locations in Nicaragua. Further, while younger women reported significant and lower overall knowledge about breast cancer (BC), purpose and reasons for SBE, characteristics of women who tend to be at higher risk for BC, and strategies and steps women take performing SBE compared to women who were in the 40+ age group. Study results call for location and population-specific programs and policies addressing disparities in breast cancer prevention efforts in the country.
自我乳房检查（SBE）已被推荐为女性早期发现乳腺癌的一项重要预防措施。然而，我们对尼加拉瓜女性关于自我乳房检查的知识、态度和做法的了解有限。在本研究中，我们对居住在尼加拉瓜部分城乡地区的18岁及以上女性（n = 500）进行了一项横断面研究。测量方法包括反映与自我乳房检查相关的知识、态度、行为和做法的调查。我们比较了城乡女性以及18 - 39岁和40岁及以上女性之间的这些测量结果。使用t检验，我们检验了这些差异的显著性。结果表明，尼加拉瓜城乡女性在自我乳房检查做法的基本知识和行为方面存在广泛且显著的差异。此外，与40岁及以上年龄组的女性相比，年轻女性报告的关于乳腺癌（BC）、自我乳房检查的目的和原因、患乳腺癌风险较高的女性特征以及女性进行自我乳房检查所采取的策略和步骤的总体知识显著较低。研究结果呼吁制定针对该国乳腺癌预防工作差异的因地制宜、针对特定人群的项目和政策。
