Volume 9, Issue 7, July – 2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology

ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24JUL113

Breast Malignancy: Evaluating Perception and

Adoption of Methods of Screening among Women in
Urban Areas of Ondo State Nigeria
Oye, Modupe Jokotola1* (PhD) Famakinde. A. A2 (M. Pharm; M.P.H)
Faculty of Nursing Sciences, Faculty of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Administration,
Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State

Ebun O.3 (PhD)

Faculty of Health Sciences,
Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State

Corresponding Author:- Oye, Modupe Jokotola (PhD)

Abstract:- Keywords:- Breast Cancer, Mammography, Perception,

Malignancy.
 Background:
Mortality from breast malignancy (cancer) is I. INTRODUCTION
assuming a worldwide epidemic among women in recent
times. The increasing mortality rate is partly due to poor The increasing mortality from breast malignancy
level of adoption of early detection methods. The (cancer) is becoming an intractable global health burden
purpose of this study was to evaluate the perception and with devastating effects on the families and communities of
adoption of methods of screening for breast malignancy those affected. Breast malignancy is a disease resulting from
among women in Ondo State, Nigeria. uncontrollable abnormal growth of the breast cells to form
tumors. The abnormal growth develops inside the lobules
 Methods: and the milk ducts that produce milk in the breast. These
A cross sectional design was employed to carry out tumors, if detected in late stages, can spread to the nearby
this research while 427 respondents were randomly breast tissues and become life threatening. The Sub-Saharan
selected through multistage sampling technique. The Africa has the highest age-standardized incidence rate of
data instrument was piloted for accuracy and reliability. 17.3 per 100,000 women per year, globally; with the
Statistical analysis was done using SPSS Version 25. Southern Africa region and West African region having the
Findings: This study indicated that most respondents highest age-standardized incidence rate of 38.9 and 38.6 per
(63.9%) were young adults >35years while the mean age 100,000 women per year in sub-Saharan Africa,
was 38.0 years. There was a positive perception (90.2%) respectively.1 The burden of breast cancer (BC) is rising in
about breast malignancy screening among respondents. Nigeria. The International Agency Research on Cancer
Notably, majority (82.2%) of respondents utilized Breast (IARC) recorded 28,380 new BC cases in Nigeria in 2020,
Self-Examination (BSE) screening method while only representing 22.7% of new cancers and accounting for the
(14.1%) utilized mammography. Findings also revealed highest proportion of all cancer types.2
obesity and age as predictors of breast malignancy while
family/friends remain the potent source of awareness of Carcinoma of the breast is a condition that is peculiar
breast malignancy screening. Chi- square test revealed in women and it is a very rare malignancy in men.3 In a
an association between occupation and practice of breast woman’s lifetime, there is a one in nine chance that she will
malignancy screening (P-value = 0.04*; X2 = 8.02) and be diagnosed with a malignant breast disorder before
educational qualification (P-value = 0.000*; X2 = 31.9). menopause and a one in eight chance after menopause.4
Findings also showed a correlation between perception Breast malignancy develops through a multistep process the
and breast malignancy screening method (r = 0.218**; pathogenesis of which is not yet known. Although incidence
p-value = 0.00) and reasons for breast malignancy rates were highest in developed regions, the countries in
screening (r = 0.250**; p-value = 0.00). Asia and Africa shared 63% of the total deaths in 2020.5 The
awareness of a lump, either benign or malignant at the initial
 Conclusion: stage, usually result in severe emotional distress with shock,
Government should prioritize compulsory free fear, denial and depressive manifestations. These reactions
screening initiatives for early detection of breast are expected bearing in mind the stigma, myths and
malignancy in women to avert the mental agony of loss misconceptions that cancer is synonymous with death
of lives. sentence in most developed countries. Despite the marginal

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Volume 9, Issue 7, July – 2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24JUL113

variations in prevalence of the disease among countries, it  Mutations in the BRCA Gene
remains a significant economic and psychological burden An altered gene is referred to as a genetic mutation.
around the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) Certain types of cancer may be more likely to develop as a
has developed a global breast cancer initiative framework result of some gene changes. A mutated BRCA gene can be
with the goal of saving nearly three million lives from breast inherited by both men and women from either their mother
cancer by 2040. This framework focuses on health or father. Children of those who carry the gene mutation
promotion for early detection, timely diagnosis, and proper may also inherit it. A child has a 50% chance of inheriting
management of breast cancer cases.6 The incidence of breast the gene mutation if 1 of the 2 copies of the BRCA gene has
cancer is increasing in the developing countries and this is the mutation in 1 or both parents. A child also has a 50%
due to the increase in life expectancy, urbanization and chance of not inheriting the gene mutation, according to
adoption of western lifestyles.7 Most women with cancer of this.11
the breast usually present at the advance stage to the hospital
which is why the mortality rate has been on the increase.  Large Breasts
The increase is partly due to lack of knowledge pertaining to Compared to fatty tissue, dense breasts have more milk
the risks factors and clinical manifestations such as breast ducts, glands, and connective tissue. Breast density is a
lumps, increase in the size of the breast, breast ulceration genetic trait. Compared to women with little or no dense
and early detection methods.8 The survival rate for women breast tissue, women with dense breast tissue have a higher
with breast cancer depends heavily on early detection.9 risk of developing breast cancer.11
Despite the availability of screening options and
considerable efforts to communicate this message to women  The Late Menopause
through various means, yet most women in urban areas The body’s level of hormones, primarily estrogen and
seem not to realize the place of early screening as a tool to progesterone, begins to decline as the ovaries stop producing
reduce the increasing mortality from the disease. them, resulting in menopause. A woman’s menstrual cycle
is stopped as a result of this. Your cells are exposed to
 Perception of Breast Cancer Screening estrogen and other hormones for a longer period if you enter
Perception towards breast cancer and screening menopause later in life (after age 55). This raises the
methods is a crucial determinant of early detection.10 possibility of breast cancer. Likewise, breast tissue is
Perception is a process emanating from sense to action. This exposed to estrogen and other hormones for a shorter period
involves processing information in a particular way in layers when menopause occurs earlier in life. A lower risk of
so that a mental model is built to recognize the surrounding breast cancer is associated with early menopause 11
world thereby generating a pattern from the environment.
Perception and adoption of screening methods for breast  Late Pregnancy or No Pregnancies
cancer especially mammography remains poor as indicated Breast cells’ exposure to circulating estrogen is halted
in many studies. during pregnancy. It also reduces the overall number of
menstrual cycles a woman experiences throughout her
 Breast Malignancy Risk Factors lifetime. A woman’s risk of breast cancer is marginally
Anything that increases the probability of developing higher than it is for a woman who has at least one full-term
cancer is a predisposing or a risk factor. Risk factors may pregnancy before the age of 30. Reduced risk of breast
predict the development of cancer; however they may not cancer is associated with early pregnancy. A woman is more
directly lead to cancer. Although the exact etiology of breast protected from breast cancer the more children she has.
malignancy remains unknown, yet the strongest Breast cancer risk is increased if a woman never
predisposing factor remains being a female. Research11 have conceives.11
also revealed several risk factors that can increase the risk
of developing breast malignancy as highlighted below:  Hormonal Replacement Treatment (HRT)
According to the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI)
 Previous History of Breast Cancer study, estrogen alone increased breast cancer risk by about
An increased risk of breast cancer recurrence exists in 1% per year and combined hormone replacement therapy
women who have previously experienced it. The second (HRT) increased risk by about 8% per year. The study also
breast cancer may appear in the same breast as the first one discovered that, in comparison to a placebo, the risk
or in a different breast11 increased even with relatively brief use of combined HRT.
After stopping HRT for a few years, the higher risk seems to
 Presence of other Types of Cancer in the Family be gone. The risks associated with the long-term use of
The presence of breast cancer in one or more close combined HRT are now thought to outweigh the
blood relatives indicates that the disease runs in the family. advantages.11
More breast cancer cases than one might anticipate
randomly occur in some families. It can be difficult to  Being Overweight
determine whether a family’s history of cancer is the result In post-menopausal women, obesity increases the risk
of coincidence, a common lifestyle, genes passed down of developing breast cancer. According to studies, women
from parents to children, or a combination of these factors.11 with a body mass index of 31.1 or higher who have never
used HRT are 2.5 times more likely to develop breast cancer
than those with a body mass index of 22.6 or lower. A

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Volume 9, Issue 7, July – 2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24JUL113

higher estrogen level can result from having more fat tissue,  Clinical Breast Examination (CBE)
which raises the risk of breast cancer.11 Breast exams may be performed by many clinicians
including nurses. However, it is important to understand that
 Estrogen current guidelines do not recommend regular clinical breast
Breast cancer risk is linked to estrogens, both exams for cancer screening for women in any risk group.
endogenous and exogenous. In premenopausal women, the However, the women should be educated on the importance
ovary typically produces endogenous estrogen, and ovarian of changes to the typical appearance and texture of their
removal can lower the risk of breast cancer. HRT and oral breasts and report any changes to their doctor right away. 13
contraceptives are the main exogenous estrogen sources.
Since the 1960s, oral contraceptives have been extensively  Mammography
used, and their formulations have been improved to Mammograms are low-dose breast x-rays taken to
minimize side effects.11 visualize a breast lump in the developing stage. According
to the review14, of all the screening methods for breast
 Clinical Manifestations cancer, the mammography is proven to be the most
Breast malignancy in most cases may not show effective. Screening for cancer of the breast with
symptoms during the initial phase. However the symptoms mammography aims at detecting breast cancer at an early,
may include: curable stage.15 Screening mammography leads to overall
reduction in breast malignancy mortality and more
 Painless breast lump beneficial for women in their 60s. As a result, screening
 Swelling of the breast mammography is recommended by the American Cancer
 Thickening of the breast Society beginning at age 45 or above. The negative effects
 Changes in size, shape or appearance of the breast of screening with mammography may include false positive
 Other changes in the skin like dimpling, redness, pitting reading, radiation exposure, anxiety, and other undesirable
 Changes in the appearance of the nipple or the areola psychological effects.
surrounding the nipple
 Magnetic Resonance Imaging
 Nipple discharge (blood or fluid)
A breast MRI uses magnets and radio waves to take
 Cancer Screening Methods pictures of the breast. Breast MRI is used along with
mammograms to screen women who are at high risk for
Screening refers to procedures and examinations used
getting breast cancer. Because breast MRIs may appear
to find the probability of the presence or absence of a
abnormal even when there is no cancer, they are not used for
suspected condition in people who don’t have any
women at average risk.16
symptoms while early detection means finding and
diagnosing a disease earlier than when symptoms appear.12
Screening procedures for breast malignancy are to find it  Biopsy
A biopsy is the most accurate confirmatory test of
before it causes symptoms (like a lump that can be felt).12
breast malignancy. It is an evasive procedure which involves
Breast cancer is usually self- detected through symptoms
removing cells or tissue from the diseased breast to check
like pain or a palpable mass that prompts the carrying out of
for cancer. Early detection of breast cancer gives the best
a diagnostic investigation.
possible chance of survival. The earlier an abnormality is
detected, the greater the number of effective treatment
 Breast Self- Examination (BSE)
options available. This ensures the best possible outcome.17
This is a simple, relatively cheap and convenient
screening method which is used to detect early breast
 Barriers of Breast Cancer Screening
malignancy at the early stage. This involves the woman
For effective treatment and long term survival of breast
looking at and feeling for any change in her breast by herself
regularly. When this is performed regularly, it affords cancer, the impact of adopting a detection method by every
woman in the reproductive age cannot be over emphasized.
women to better notice any changes in their breasts or detect
Breast screening of various means has been advocated as a
when something feels different especially a lump. Other
potentially very important factor in the early diagnosis of
methods like mammography and Magnetic Resonance
breast cancer.18 Therefore; women should start being breast
Imaging, may not be the appropriate methods of screening
aware by the early reproductive age (18 years). This should
in developing countries because of the cost implication.
Hence, it is advocated that an ideal breast cancer test should be continued as regular breast checks throughout the year to
enable familiarity with their breasts. However, in doing this,
be simple and inexpensive. Most healthcare providers
there are several barriers that limited women. Barriers to all
opined that while mammograms are the best screening tool
cancer screening remain the same, be it cervical or breast
to detect breast malignancy, a breast examination done by
cancer screening. Studies19 have shown that the barriers to
the woman herself is the best way to be familiar with their
cancer screening includes: lack of awareness about the
own breasts. However, breast self-examination should be
done by women above the age of 20 years while the health screening, lack of availability of test, test too expensive, fear
of the procedure, discouragement by spouse, indecision
care workers should endeavor to give educate on the
about test, pain of the procedure, belief of not being at risk
guidelines, technique and the timing.
of breast cancer and fear of being diagnosed of cancer.

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Volume 9, Issue 7, July – 2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24JUL113

 Justification in regard to the uptake of preventive health service. The

In the past few decades, the incidence of breast health belief model suggests that people’s beliefs about
malignancy in women has been on the increase with susceptibility to health problems, severity of the illness,
decreasing survivors in most developing countries. perceived benefits of action, cues to action and self-efficacy
Currently, breast cancer accounts for about 60 percent of explain engagement (or lack engagement) in health-
majority of malignant cases in Nigeria, in regard to about 80 promoting behavior influences their health actions.
percent of women in Nigeria, being diagnosed with end-
stage cancer.20 In Nigeria, the predicted year of survival rate  Application of the Theory to the Study
for cancer of the breast which is five years continues to be The attitudes towards breast screening and self-breast
less than 10 percent, as opposed to West part of Europe and examination and other health practices can be explained by
Northern America, which records close to 80 percent rate of the health belief model. This model was developed to
survival.20Early diagnosis, screening and treatment explain why people may or may not be involved actively in
programs are part of the interventions that could reduce the health preventive practices such as the breast screening
high mortality rate from breast cancer globally. This study programs.
therefore evaluates the perception and adoption of methods
of screening for breast malignancy among women in urban II. METHODS AND MATERIALS
areas of Ondo State in other to increase the incidence of
survivors from breast malignancy.  Study Design
This study utilized a cross-sectional survey design.
 Objective This design was adopted as the researcher was only
The main purpose of this study is to investigate interested in the phenomenon of interest.
perception and adoption of methods of screening for breast
malignancy among urban women in Ondo State, Southwest,  Setting
Nigeria. The study was conducted in Owo Local Government,
Ondo State. Owo Local Government Area (LGA) is one of
 Hypotheses the eighteen (18) LGAs in Ondo State. Owo is an urban
metropolitan city situated halfway between the towns of
 Ho1: There is no significant relationship between socio- Akure and Benin City. The population of Owo LGA in 2006
demographic characteristics and the adoption of methods was put at 222,262 (NPC, 2006). It is located in the Ondo
of breast malignancy screening among women in urban Northern Senatorial district. There are two major higher
areas of Ondo State, Nigeria. institutions in Owo: Achievers University and Rufus Giwa
 Ho2: There is no significant relationship between Polytechnic and numerous secondary schools and a
perception and adoption of methods of breast technical college. The local government is also the seat for
malignancy screening among women in urban areas of Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Ondo state. The major
Ondo State, Nigeria occupation in the local government is farming and timber
collection, block making industries, trading and other
 Significance of the Study business activities.
Findings from this study will be used by the health care
team to institutionize interventions on improving perception  Population
and adoption of breast malignancy screening among women. This study population comprises of women in their
Findings will also be used in planning educational programs reproductive age (15-49years) in Owo Local Government
and designing guidelines and policies in training nurses, Area, Ondo state, Nigeria.
doctors and other health personnel who are involved in
promoting an optimal health among women. This study will  Sampling Procedures
also serve as empirical data for further studies on breast Multistage sampling technique was used to select
malignancy. participants for the study. The first stage involves using
simple random sampling to select Ondo state out of the Six
 Delimitation of the Study Southwestern States in Nigeria. The second stage involves
This study focuses on women of child bearing age in selecting Owo Local Government Area out of the 18 LGAS
urban areas of Owo Local Government, Ondo State, Nigeria in Ondo State through simple random technique. Owo
irrespective of their age, religious affiliation, educational Township which is the headquarters of the LGA was
status, tribe and socio-economic status. It is assumed that randomly selected above other towns being an urban
most urban women are more exposed to intervention metropolitan city in the third stage. Convenient sampling
messages and will be able to educate women in the suburb method was used to select 427 participants in the four
on adoption of appropriate methods of breast malignancy quarters where the research was conducted. The sample size
screening. was determined through Cochran’s formula as follows;

 Theoretical Frame Work 𝑧2𝑝𝑞

n= 𝑒2
Health belief model (HBM) was adapted for this study.
HBM is a psychological health behavior change model that
explains and predicts health-related behaviors, particularly

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Volume 9, Issue 7, July – 2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24JUL113

Where; n= desired sample size instrument was scrutinized and corrected in line with the
stated study objectives.
z = Z score
 Reliability of the Instrument
p= standard of deviation To ensure reliability, a piloted study was carried out
among 43 respondents (equivalent to 10% of the population)
q=1-p in Emure-Ile in Owo LGA (outside the research setting). It
was analyzed using a test-retest method and the reliability
e = level of precision put at 0.05 coefficient of 0.75 was obtained.

thus; n=
(1.96)2 (0.5)(0.5)  Method of Data Collection
(0.05)2 To ensure data quality, data administration was closely
0.9604
overseen for completeness in the four major quarters in
n= Owo: Ijebu- Owo, Okedogbon, Oke Ogun and Idasen
0.0025
respectively. Convenient sampling method was used to
n = 384.16 administer the questionnaire till the sample size of 427 was
obtained. Thereafter it was retrieved from each respondent.
n = 384 respondents
 Duration
Attrition rate of 10% was added and calculated thus; The study was community based and conducted
between January to April, 2024 in Owo Local Government
Area of Ondo State.

 Method of Analysis
Descriptive statistics was used to examine the general
distribution of respondents as contained in each variable.
Inferential statistics was also used to test for the hypotheses
and relationship between variables using Chi-square and
correlation analytical methods.

n= 426.6667  Ethical Consideration

This study was a community based survey. Consent
n= 427 respondents was obtained from community leaders of the study settings
and the ethical and research committee of Owo Local
 Research Instrument Government Area, Ondo State. Verbal informed consent
A semi-structured questionnaire tagged “Perception was also obtained from each respondent.
and adoption of methods of breast malignancy screening
among urban women” (PAMBMSUW) was segmented into  Inclusion Criteria
five sections data collection. Section A consists of socio-
demographic data, section B; knowledge of risk factors of  Women between the ages of 15-49years
breast malignancy; section C: awareness of methods of  Willingness to participate in the study
breast malignancy screening; section D: perception of breast
malignancy screening and section E: adoption of breast  Exclusion Criteria
malignancy screening methods.
 Women not consenting to participate
 Validity of Instrument  Women less than 18 years and above 49 years of age
The questionnaire was reviewed by an Oncologist at
the Federal Medical Center (FMC), Owo and Public Health  Statistical Analysis
experts to ensure constituency and validity. The research

Table 1 Distribution of Socio-Demographic and Obstetric Characteristics of the Respondents

Variables Frequency (F) Percentage (%)
Age
Older Youth (0-34years) 154 36.1
Young Adult (>35years) 273 63.9
Total 427 100.0 Mean age = 38.0
Religion
Christianity 315 73.8
Muslim 112 26.2
Total 427 100.0

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Volume 9, Issue 7, July – 2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
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Marital Status
Single 53 12.4
Married 285 66.7
Divorcee 48 11.2
Widow 41 9.6
Total 427 100.0
Ethnicity
Igbo 108 25.3
Hausa 36 8.4
Yoruba 255 59.7
Others 28 6.6
Total 427 100.0
Occupation
Artisan 152 35.6
Trader 83 19.4
Civil servant 165 38.6
Farmer 27 6.3
Total 427 100.0
Educational qualification
No formal education 24 5.6
Primary education 80 18.7
Secondary education 257 60.2
Tertiary education 66 15.5
Total 427 100.0
Parity (Number of children)
One 105 24.6
Two 192 45.0
Three 82 19.2
More than three 48 11.2
Total 427 100.0

Table 2 Distribution of Respondents on Knowledge of Risk Factors of Breast Malignancy

Risk factors of breast malignancy Correct Response Incorrect Response
F % F %
Age (Adult) 389 91.1 38 8.9
Family history 387 90.6 40 9.4
Eating fatty diet 292 68.4 135 31.6
Alcohol consumption 314 73.5 113 26.5
Obesity 407 95.3 20 4.7
Use of family planning pills 258 60.4 169 39.6
Early menarche/late menopause 315 73.8 112 26.2
Not breastfeeding 319 74.7 108 25.3
Smoking 293 68.6 134 31.4

Table 3 Knowledge Grade of Risk Factors of Breast Malignancy among the Respondents
Knowledge Grade Frequency (f) Percentage (%)
Poor Knowledge (0-39.0%) 16 3.7
Fair Knowledge (40.0-59.0%) 168 39.3
Good Knowledge (60-100%) 243 56.9
Total 427 100.0

Table 4 Awareness of Breast Malignancy Screening Distribution

Variable Frequency (F) Percentage (%)
Awareness of breast cancer screening
No 41 9.6
Yes 386 90.4
Total 427 100.0
Source of awareness

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Volume 9, Issue 7, July – 2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
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Nil 41 9.6
Health workers 82 19.2
TV/Radio 49 11.5
Family/friends 225 52.7
Social media 30 7.0
Total 427 100.0

Table 5 Knowledge Distribution of Breast Malignancy Screening among Respondents

Knowledge of breast cancer screening Correct Incorrect
Response Response
F % F %
Early detection of breast cancer through mammography helps in the treatment of breast cancer 343 80.3 84 19.7
Mammography is done every year 332 77.8 95 22.2
There is no age limit to mammography 330 77.3 97 22.7
Knowledge grade F %
Poor Knowledge (0-39.0%) 16 3.7
Fair Knowledge (40.0-59.0%) 136 31.9
Good Knowledge (60-100%) 275 64.4
Total 427 100.0

Table 6 Responses to Perception of Breast Malignancy Screening

Perception statement SA A U D SD
I don’t need mammography because I am not 84(19.7) 36(8.4) 59(13.8) 107(25.1) 141(33.0)
breastfeeding
My culture forbids women undergoing such test 31(7.3) 31(7.3) 50(11.7) 95(22.2) 220(51.5)
Regular breast cancer screening can prevent 370(86.7) --- 7(1.6) 10(2.3) 18(4.2)
development of breast cancer
Cancer has no cure therefore the screening is not 14(3.3) 8(1.9) 7(1.6) 16(3.7) 382(89.5)
necessary
I don't have time to get a screening because it takes 30(7.0) 26(6.1) 20(4.7) 50(11.7) 301(70.5)
much time
Mammography is too costly 299(70.0) 29(6.8) 24(5.6) 36(8.4) 39(9.1)
I am scared of being diagnosed of cancer through 138(32.3 37(8.7) ----- ----- 252(59.0)
mammography
Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Undecided (U), Disagree (D), Strongly Disagree (SD)

Table 7 Perception Score of Breast Malignancy Screening by Respondents

Perception score Frequency (F) Percentage (%)
Negative 42 9.8
Positive 385 90.2
Total 427 100.0

Table 8 Percentage Distribution of Respondents by Adoption of Breast Malignancy Screening

Variable Frequency (F) Percentage (%)
Have you done breast cancer screening before
No 107 25.1
Yes 320 74.9
Total 427 100.0
If yes, where was it done (n=320)
Government hospital 16 5.0
During health outreach 9 2.8
At home 265 82.8
Private clinic 30 9.4
Total 320 100.0
If yes, which type of screening have you done
Self-breast examination 265 82.8
Mammography 45 14.1
Breast magnetic resonance image 10 3.1
Total 320 100.0

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Volume 9, Issue 7, July – 2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24JUL113

Reasons breast cancer screening was done

Routine breast self-examination at home 247 77.2
Instruction by health workers 51 16
Complaint of painful breast 22 6.8
Total 320 100.0
If no to question 1, reasons screening was not done
I am not aware 24 22.4
No time for it 27 25.2
Fear of embarrassment if cancer is detected 14 13.1
I can’t afford it 12 11.2
My religion forbids it 11 10.3
No reason 19 17.8
Total 107 100.0
Will you recommend breast cancer screening to friends
No 125 29.3
Yes 302 70.7
Total 427 100.0

Table 9 Summary of Adoption of Methods of Breast Malignancy Screening among Respondents

Preventive practice grade Frequency (F) Percentage (%)
Poor Practice 107 25.1
Good Practice 320 74.9
Total 427 100.0

Table 10 Chi-Square analysis on the Relationship between Socio-Demographic Characteristics and Adoption of Methods of
Breast Malignancy Screening
Variables Practice of BST cancer screening Total Df X2 P-value
Yes No
F % F % F %
Age
Older youth 116 27.2 38 8.9 154 36.1 1 0.01 0.89ns
Young adult 204 47.8 69 16.2 273 63.9
Total 320 74.9 107 25.1 427 100.0
Occupation
Artisan 117 27.4 35 8.2 152 35.6 3 8.02 0.04*
Trader 64 15.0 19 4.4 83 19.4
Civil servant 114 26.7 51 11.9 165 38.6
Farmer 25 5.9 2 0.5 27 6.3
Total 320 74.9 107 25.1 427 100.0
Educational
qualification
No formal 16 3.7 8 1.9 24 5.6 3 31.9 0.00*
Primary 42 9.8 38 8.9 80 18.7
Secondary 214 50.1 43 10.1 257 60.2
Tertiary 48 11.2 18 4.2 66 15.5
Total 320 74.9 107 25.1 427 100.0
*Significant at α = 0.05

Table 11 Correlation Analysis between Perception and Adoption of Breast Malignancy Screening among Respondents
Variable PEP E1 E2 E3 E4 E5
Pearson Correlation 1
Perception of BST screening (PEP) Sig. (2-tailed)
N 427
Pearson Correlation -.004 1
Utilization of BST screening before (E1) Sig. (2-tailed) .936
N 427 427
Pearson Correlation .370** .661** 1
Place BST screening was done (E2)
Sig. (2-tailed) .000 .000

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Volume 9, Issue 7, July – 2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24JUL113

N 427 427 427

Pearson Correlation .218** .786** .727** 1
BST screening method used (E3) Sig. (2-tailed) .000 .000 .000
N 427 427 427 427
Pearson Correlation .250** .741** .683** .493** 1
Reason BST screening was done (E4) Sig. (2-tailed) .000 .000 .000 .000
N 427 427 427 427 427
Pearson Correlation -.072 -.851** -.563** -.669** -.631** 1
Reason for not doing BST screening (E5) Sig. (2-tailed) .136 .000 .000 .000 .000
N 427 427 427 427 427 427
**. Correlation is Significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

III. RESULTS from TV/Radio, 19.2% got theirs from health workers and
few (7.0%) got their awareness from social media.
 Socio-Demographic and Obstetric Characteristics
Socio-demographic and obstetric characteristics of the  Perception of Breast Malignancy Screening
women of childbearing age was presented in Table 1. The Perception of breast cancer screening among women
result showed that more than half (63.9%) of the women was presented in Table 5. The table showed that 19.7% of
were young adult, 36.1% of the women were older adult the women strongly agree that they don’t need
while the mean age of the participants stood at 38. More mammography because they are not breastfeeding. Majority
than half (73.8%) of the women were Christians and 26.2% (86.7%) of the women strongly agree that regular breast
of them were Muslim. Majority (66.7%) of the women were screening can prevent development of breast cancer and
married and (59.7%) of the women were Yoruba by tribe. while few (3.3%) of the women strongly agreed that cancer
The result of occupation showed that (35.6%) of the women has no cure and therefore screening is not necessary. More
were Artisans, 38.6% of them were civil servants, 19.4% of than half (70.0%) of the women strongly agreed that
them were traders while 6.3% were farmers. Also, more mammography is expensive while (32.3%) expressed the
than half (60.2%) of the women had secondary education, fear of being diagnosed through mammography
18.7% of the women had primary education, 15.5% of them respectively.
had tertiary education while few (5.6%) of them had no
formal education. The parity of the women also showed that Perception score of breast cancer screening among
24.6% are pimiparous while 75.4 are multiparous women. women of childbearing age was presented in Table 6.
Majority (90.2%) of the women had positive perception
 Knowledge of Risk Factors of Breast Malignancy towards breast cancer screening and few (9.8%) of the
Knowledge of risk factors of breast cancer was women had negative perception towards breast cancer
presented in Table 2. Majority (91.1 & 90.6%) of the screening.
women gave a correct response that age and family history
are risk factors of breast cancer. More than half (68.4% &  Adoption of Breast Cancer Screening Methods
73.5%) of the women gave correct responses that eating Adoption of breast cancer screening methods among
fatty diet and alcohol consumption are risk factors of breast women of childbearing age was presented in Table 7 More
cancer while 31.6% and 26.5% of the women gave incorrect than half 74.9% of the women claimed they had done breast
response towards the aforementioned knowledge questions. cancer screening before and 25.1% of the women have not.
Majority (95.3%) of the women gave correct response that A few of them (5.0%) did their breast cancer screening at
obesity is a risk factor of breast cancer. government hospital while 9.4% of them did it at private
clinics. Majority of the women (82.8%) who did breast
 Knowledge Grade of Risk Factors of Breast Malignancy cancer screening utilized Breast Self-Examination (BSE)
Knowledge grade of risk factors of breast malignancy method while 14.1% of them utilized mammography for
among the childbearing age was presented in Table 3. More their screening. On the indication for the screening, 77.2%
than half (56.9%) of the women had good knowledge, of the women claimed that they performed breast cancer
39.3% of the women had fair knowledge and few (3.7%) of screening as routine check-up by themselves, 16.0% did it
the women had poor knowledge of risk factors of breast on the instruction of the health worker while 6.8% did it due
cancer. to breast complaints. The table revealed that 22.4% of the
women did not do breast cancer screening due to lack of
 Awareness of Breast Malignancy Screening awareness, 25.2% due to lack of time, 13.1% due to fear of
Awareness of breast cancer screening among the embarrassment if cancer is detected, while 11.2% was due
women of childbearing age was presented in table 4. The to lack of affordability. Also majority (94.2%) of women
table showed that majority (90.4%) of the women were claimed that they can recommend breast cancer to their
aware of breast cancer screening while few (9.6%) of the friends.
women were not aware of breast cancer screening, more
than half (52.7%) got to know about breast cancer screening
from family/friends, 11.5% of them got their awareness

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Volume 9, Issue 7, July – 2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24JUL113

Grading of practice of breast cancer screening among Findings from our study also revealed that awareness
women of childbearing age was presented in Table 8. The of breast cancer screening among women of child bearing
table showed that more than half (74.9%) of the women had age in urban areas of Southwest, Nigeria is high (90.4%).
good practice of breast cancer screening while 25.1% of the This is in tandem with a study22 carried out on Knowledge,
women had poor practice of breast cancer screening. Awareness, and Practices of Breast Cancer in Belagavi. The
study was conducted among 20–70 years aged females
 Testing of Hypothesis without any history of breast cancer from rural and urban
areas of Belagavi. The result revealed that awareness of
 Table 9: Chi-Square Analysis on the Relationship breast cancer was five-folds higher in urban than in rural
between Socio-Demographic Characteristics and areas. It was concluded that women from urban areas of
Adoption of Breast Malignancy Screening Methods Belagavi have a fair knowledge and awareness about breast
Table 9 above showed that there is significant cancer and are also fairly well versed with BSE technique.
relationship (p<0.05) between socio-demographic Our study also revealed that obesity (95.3%) and age
characteristics and adoption of breast cancer screening (91.1%) are mostly the risk factors of breast cancer while
among women of childbearing age. The table showed that family/friends (52.7%) remains the potent source of
there is a statistically significant relationship between awareness of breast cancer screening. This indicates that
occupation and practice of breast cancer screening with the health care workers are not giving adequate information and
values (P-value = 0.04*; X2 = 8.02) and educational education on cancer screening to the women. Our findings
qualification with the values (P-value = 0.000*; X2 = 31.9). disagree with the findings in a study7 on the Knowledge and
This result shows that the alternative hypotheses was practices on breast cancer detection and associated
accepted and the null hypotheses “that there is no significant challenges among women aged 35 years and above in
(P>0.05) relationship between socio-demographic Tanzania using a total population of 130 women in which
characteristics and practice of breast cancer screening was the most frequently reported cause and risk factor of breast
rejected. cancer were putting money under brassiere (30.8%) and fat
diet (17.7%) respectively and the frequently reported source
 Table 10: Correlation Analysis between Perception and of information about this disease was television/radio
Adoption of Breast Cancer Screening Methods among programs (83.1%). Our findings from this study further
Respondents established a significant association between occupation and
Table 10 shows the correlation between perception practice of breast cancer screening with the values (P-value
and practice of breast cancer screening among women of = 0.04*; X2 = 8.02) and educational qualification with the
childbearing age. The result showed that there is a positive values (P-value = 0.000*; X2 = 31.9). This must have
weak correlation between perception of breast cancer resulted from the fact that majority of the women are
screening and the place breast cancer screening was done educated above high school colleges and are mostly civil
with the values (r = 0.37**; p-value = 0.00). The result servants bearing in mind that education improves knowledge
also showed that there is positive weak correlation between which can influence a change in perception leading to good
perception of breast cancer screening and breast cancer preventive screening practices against breast cancer.
screening method used by the respondents (r = 0.218**; p-
value = 0.00) and reasons breast cancer screening was Findings also indicated that there is a positive weak
done (r = 0.250**; p-value = 0.00). correlation between perception of breast cancer screening
and the place where breast cancer screening was done with
IV. DISCUSSION the values (r = 0.37**; p-value = 0.00). The result also
showed that there is positive weak correlation between
Finding from this study revealed that the respondents perception of breast cancer screening and breast cancer
have positive perception (90.2%) about breast malignancy screening method used by the respondents (r = 0.218**; p-
screening and the perception that breast cancer screening value = 0.00) and reasons breast cancer screening was
can prevent breast cancer disease was also high (86.7%). done (r = 0.250**; p-value = 0.00). Lack of time, cost and
Likewise, the practice of breast cancer screening among fear of being diagnosed were also reported as barriers to
women of child bearing age in Southwest Nigeria is also screening. The study showed that affordability and the
good (74.9%). Incidentally, out of those who practice breast longer time spent for mammography screening must have
cancer screening, majority (82.2%) utilized Breast Self- resulted in the high number of practice of breast self -
examination (BSE) method while only (14.1%) utilized examination which is cost effective and does not require
mammography with majority (70.0%) perceiving that the longer waiting time during hospital visit.
method is too costly. This finding is in contrast with the
result of a study21 conducted on breast cancer knowledge, V. CONCLUSION
perception and breast self-examination practices among
Yemeni Women. The study concluded that poor knowledge Breast cancer has become a pressing public health
and inadequate BSE practices are prevailing in Yemen and concern as it has assumed the commonest malignancy in
the need for implementing culturally sensitive targeted women in recent times in Nigeria. However, this study has
education measures is mandatory in the effort to improve early detection shown that most urban women in the study area were well
and reduce the burden of breast cancer. informed on pertinent issues relating to the risk factors of
breast cancer and breast cancer screening methods.

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Volume 9, Issue 7, July – 2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24JUL113

However, the role of health workers and mass media in [5]. Ferlay J., Ervik M., Lam F., Columbet M., Mery l.,
sensitization and mass education on breast cancer early Pineros M., Zinaor A., Soerjomataram I., Bray F.
detection methods particularly BSE Nigeria is expedient. Global Cancer Obser-Vatory: Cancer Today,
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[9]. Ibikunle, A. F. Barriers to Breast Cancer Prevention
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 Conflicts of interest: There are no conflicts of interest. 0000000000036905
[12]. Amira F., Shadia H., Eman M., Amirah MY.
 Funding: The researchers funded this study by “Women’s perception regarding Screening for early
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