Abstract:
Background: Breast cancer is a global health concern and a leading cause of morbidity
and mortality among women. Breast self examination is a method for early breast
cancer detection that is cost-free, simple and non-invasive. However little is known
about women’s understanding and breast self examination of in resource poor sittings.
Objective: The main objective of this study was to assess breast self examination and
its associated factors of breast self examination practice by applying of Health belief
Model among female Student at University of Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia.
Method- Institutional based cross-sectional study was carried out from April - May
2014. The study includes 803 female undergraduate regular students who were
selected using simple random sampling technique. Data were entered using EpiData
3.02 statistical software and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Logistic regression used
to identify factors associated with the breast self examination. Odds ratio with 95 % CI
used to assess the presence and strength of association.
Results: out of 806 female students selected, 803 participants in the study, resulting in
response rate of (99.5%).The prevalence of breast self examination practice was 803
(45.8%). Among this regular Breast self Examination 82(22.3%) and irregular Breast
self examination 286(77.7%).Using multivariate analysis, year of study (4thyear and
above) were significantly associated with adjusted odds ratio = 2.34, 95%CI= (1.33,
4.09). For the domain perceive barriers and cues to action showed significantly negative
association but of perceived self efficacy showed that positively associated with
performing BSE (adjusted OR (95% confidence interval (CI)) .662(.488, .897),
3.706(2.71, 5.06) and .16(.07, .368) respectively.
Conclusion and recommendation: The practice of Breast self examination was low.
Positive attitude towards perceived confidence or self efficacy have strongly association
with performing breast self examination. Perceived barriers with high score the negative
attitude to performing breast self examination. Strategies that will help in the early
detection of breast problem at earlier stage using feasible cost effective screening
methods like Brest self examination is an important intervention.
