Perceived Barriers and Knowledge of Mammography Screening Among Saudi Women Attending Primary Health Centers

Objective: To assess the knowledge and barriers of mammography screening among Saudi women attending primary health centers in Saudi Arabia. Study Design: Descriptive cross-sectional. Place and Duration of the Study: Conducted in the central region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 10th May 2024 to 31st October 2024. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted among women attending the primary healthcare centers in the central region of Saudi Arabia. An Arabic questionnaire assessing sociodemographic, breast cancer awareness, and perceptions about mammographic screening was utilized. Data was analyzed in the Software Sciences (SPSS) version 26. Results: Of the 349 Saudi women, 64.2% were married, and 61.3% were between 18 and 40 years old. Smoking behavior was identified as the most common breast cancer risk factor (75.1%), while fear of radiation was recognized as the most common personal barrier to mammographic screening (61.9%). Low levels of knowledge about cancer risk factors and mammographic screening were found in 51.9% of the women, whereas 9.5% were considered to have a high level of barrier toward MS. Increased knowledge and barrier scores were associated with being married, better education, and being an employee. Conclusion: Saudi women have limited knowledge of the risks of breast cancer and have few perception barriers to mammogram screening too. Married women with better education and working status demonstrated a better understanding of the BC risk factors. Still, at the same time, they may exhibit high levels of barriers toward MS which needs to be focused on.