Barriers associated with breast selfexamination among women 18 to 50 years old: A cross sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: breast cancer is the most common female malignancy and is commonly associated with high levels of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Breast self-examination (BSE) it is a fundamental method for early detection of the disease. The purpose of the study was to determine the prevalence and barriers associated to BSE in women between 18 to 50 years old. Methods: a cross sectional study in 627 healthy women between 18 50 years old from Pamplona, Colombia, was performed. Barriers to the practice of BSE (age, marital status, religion, family history for cancer disease, healthcare professionals counseling and social media), were collected by a structured questionnaire. Prevalence was calculated for each factor and associated barriers were established through a multivariate logistic regression models. Results: at the time of the survey, about 72% of women stated they did not practice BSE in the last month and 45% in the last six months. Regression models show that women who belong to the age group between 30 and 39 years old, women who did not have any counseling from a health professional and those who did not report breast cancer in their family history; were associated as barriers for practicing BSE. Conclusions: the BSE in the study population was low. These data could be used to provide educational intervention programs about the importance of early diagnosis of breast cancer.