Knowledge and Practice of Breast Self-examination among Middle-aged Females Attending a Tertiary Care Hospital

Background: Breast self-examination (BSE) is a common self-performed screening method to detect any possible changes in the breast.It is widely practiced around the world in developed and underdeveloped countries for the earliest possible detection of breast cancer.It is the most effective method, as the procedure is self-performed and does not require surveillance by a medical professional.It is performed at a person's comfort and can be done any time.The objective of this research is to assess the knowledge and practice of BSE in females to develop awareness and the importance of breast health among them.Materials and methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the outpatient department (OPD) of CMA Hospital, Azra Naheed Medical College, Superior University, Lahore, Pakistan.One hundred females attending the OPD of CMA Hospital, aged 31-50 years, were enrolled in the study after giving informed consent using a nonprobability consecutive sampling technique.Females with a present or past diagnosis of breast abnormalities (cysts, mastitis, benign or malignant tumors) were excluded from the study.Demographic information was noted, and then the participants completed a structured questionnaire comprising two domains: the first domain was regarding knowledge of BSE, and the second domain was about the practice of BSE.All the data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 26.Results: The majority of the females were aged 41-50 years (40.0%).Based on residential background, 59.0% of females belonged to urban areas.The majority of females (40.0%) were illiterate in terms of educational status, followed by 27.0% who were undergraduates.Only 33.0% of females were aware of BSE.Medical advice (14.0%) and social media (14.0%) were the biggest sources of information for the participants.Furthermore, only 14.0% of respondents reported performing BSE.Conclusion: BSE knowledge and practice were poor in our study.This study highlights the need for awareness regarding BSE, which can be promoted through educational programs, seminars, social media, morning shows, and public health messages.