Alshafie Mohammed, Bitar Anas, Alfawal Massa, Alameer Mhd Basheer, Alhomsi Dima, Saifo Maher
Medical Student in Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria.
Professor of Medical Oncology, Vice Dean for Scientific Affairs, Faculty of Medicine, Damascus University, Almazzeh, Damascus, Syria.
Heliyon. 2024 Jul 27;10(15):e35312. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e35312. eCollection 2024 Aug 15.
Breast cancer (BC) is the leading cause of death in Syria. In young females, it is a serious complication, making it crucial to raise awareness about the disease and its early detection methods. Given the challenging circumstances that Syrians face, regular visits to medical centers for mammography are often not feasible. Therefore, breast self-examination (BSE) is a valuable tool for detecting cancer. Educating girls in medical colleges is key to disseminating knowledge about BSE among women, as they will become future healthcare providers and can share accurate information with their families.
A cross-sectional study was conducted in the medical faculties of Damascus University (medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy), Syria. The study utilized a structured questionnaire on Google Forms with four sections. The questionnaire was prepared electronically, and shared as an online link in formal university groups on social media. Data collection started on September 19, 2022, and ended on October 19 of the same year. Participation was accepted from female students in medical colleges, ranging from second to fifth year (for dental and pharmacy students) and sixth year (for medical students). Data from other students and incomplete data were excluded.
589 female medical students from three faculties (medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy) filled out the questionnaire. Only 57 % of the students demonstrated a good attitude towards BSE, and 79.6 % of them agreed or strongly agreed that they avoid BSE due to fear of the consequences of breast cancer. Regarding BSE knowledge, 89.6 % of the participants reported previously hearing about BSE, and 55.7 % of them had performed BSE before. The factors that were accompanied by better knowledge about BSE were: a good attitude towards BSE; previously performed BSE; studying in a medical faculty; study years for medical and pharmacy students; and higher college average grades. Whereas, having a medical relative and having a family member with a history of BC surprisingly do not impact the knowledge.
The study, conducted at Damascus University in Syria, assessed the knowledge and practice of breast self-examination among female medical college students. The results indicate a moderate level of knowledge and limited practical experience in performing breast self-examination. These findings highlight the urgent need to emphasize the importance of promoting and teaching this method to a wider population of women in society.
乳腺癌是叙利亚女性死亡的主要原因。在年轻女性中，它是一种严重的并发症，因此提高对该疾病及其早期检测方法的认识至关重要。鉴于叙利亚人面临的挑战性环境，定期前往医疗中心进行乳房X光检查往往不可行。因此，乳房自我检查是检测癌症的一项重要工具。在医学院校教育女孩是在女性中传播乳房自我检查知识的关键，因为她们未来将成为医疗服务提供者，并能够与家人分享准确信息。
在叙利亚大马士革大学的医学院、牙医学院和药学院进行了一项横断面研究。该研究使用了谷歌表单上的结构化问卷，问卷共四个部分。问卷通过电子方式编制，并作为在线链接在大学官方社交媒体群组中分享。数据收集于2022年9月19日开始，同年10月19日结束。医学院校二年级至五年级（牙科和药学专业学生）以及六年级（医学专业学生）的女学生均可参与。其他学生的数据以及不完整的数据被排除。
来自三个学院（医学院、牙医学院和药学院）的589名女医学生填写了问卷。只有57%的学生对乳房自我检查持积极态度，其中79.6%的学生同意或强烈同意，由于担心乳腺癌的后果而避免进行乳房自我检查。关于乳房自我检查知识，89.6%的参与者表示之前听说过乳房自我检查，其中55.7%的人之前进行过乳房自我检查。与对乳房自我检查有更好了解相关的因素包括：对乳房自我检查持积极态度；之前进行过乳房自我检查；在医学院学习；医学和药学专业学生的学习年限；以及较高的大学平均成绩。然而，有医学亲属和有乳腺癌家族史的情况出人意料地对知识掌握没有影响。
在叙利亚大马士革大学进行的这项研究评估了女医学生对乳房自我检查的知识和实践情况。结果表明，她们对乳房自我检查的知识水平中等，实践经验有限。这些发现凸显了迫切需要向更广泛的社会女性群体强调推广和教授这种方法的重要性。
