Knowledge and Awareness of Breast Self-Examination among Secondary School Girls in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan

Abstract

Objective: Breast Self-Examination (BSE) is an early detection method of breast cancer. It is able to develop responsibility for breast health among women to always aware of any changes in the breast. Thus, secondary school girls age is the perfect age to start practice the BSE. The purpose of this study is to determine the level of knowledge and awareness on BSE among secondary school girls in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 502 secondary school girls using self-administered questionnaire covering socio-demographic data, knowledge and awareness of breast cancer and knowledge and awareness of BSE. Results: The mean age of the participants is 14.9 ± 0.06 years. The majority of the participants were Malays (86.5%). A total of 6.1% of the participants had a family history of breast cancer. Nine percent of participants had a good knowledge and 91.0% had poor knowledge regarding BSE. There is a significant difference between the age of participants with the level of knowledge and awareness (p = 0.014). Conclusion: The knowledge and awareness of BSE were poor among secondary school girls in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan.