Abstract:

Breast self-examination (BSE) is a preventive tool for early identification of breast changes and abnormalities. This study was aimed at assessing breast self-examination knowledge and practice among female secondary students in Delta State, Nigeria. This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among female senior secondary school students from selected public schools in Delta State, Nigeria. This study utilized a self-administered 59-item validated questionnaire for data collection from 216 consenting female students who volunteered to take part in the study. The knowledge and practice of breast self-examination were measured on 33 and 18 points reference scales, respectively. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23.0. Frequency, mean, standard deviation and correlation analysis were reported. All statistical tests were at 5% level of significance.

The mean age of the respondents was 15.5± 1.11 years. The mean score for knowledge of BSE was 5.8±3.8 while the mean score for BSE practice was 7.3±2.1. Correlation analysis showed no significant relationship between knowledge and practice of BSE (p=0.095, R= 0.114). The overall knowledge and practice of BSE was very poor. This calls for the need to improve breast self-examination advocacy among the adolescents; training and intervention programs to improve their knowledge as well as the regular practice of BSE.

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