Breast self-examination: Awareness, attitude, and practices among the female faculty members of the University of San Agustin, SY 2006-2007

Abstract

This study determined the level of awareness, attitude and practice regarding breast self-examination of the female faculty members of the University of San Agustin, for the School Year, 2006-2007. A descriptive-relational design was used. The respondents’ department, age, civil status, and family history were the antecedent variables; level of awareness and attitude towards breast self-examination were the independent variables; and practice of breast self-examination was the dependent variable. The respondents of the study were 167 randomly chosen female faculty members of the University of San Agustin. The research instrument used in this study was a researcher-constructed questionnaire which was content validated by the panel of expert jurors and tested for reliability using the Cronbach alpha coefficient of correlation. The statistical tools used were the frequency count, the percentage, mean and Chi-square test. The level of significance for the test of hypothesis was set at .05 alpha.

The findings of the study disclosed that:

Majority of the respondents came from the nursing department, were 40 years or younger, married and had no family history of breast cancer. The respondents had moderate level of awareness about and favorable attitude towards breast self-examination. Most of the respondents check their breasts for lumps once a month. The major reason for not doing BSE is forgetfulness. Although the respondents had knowledge on how to perform BSE, a high proportion of them do not practice it or if they do it was not correctly nor frequently. Those practicing BSE do it after menstruation. There were no significant relationships between the respondents’ department, age, and family history of cancer and their level of awareness about breast self-examination. There was also no significant relationship between attitude towards breast self-examination and the respondents’ department of affiliation, age, civil status and family history of cancer. However, there was a significant relationship between awareness about and attitude towards breast self-examination but there was no significant relationship between level of awareness about BSE and practice of it. A significant relationship also existed between the respondents’ attitude towards BSE and the practice of it. Based on the results of the study, the researcher conclude that the female faculty members of the University of San Agustin have a moderate level of awareness about breast self-examination and they have a favorable attitude towards it which redound to its practice.