Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice regarding breast cancer screening among women attending a tertiary hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan

Breast cancer is among the leading causes of death worldwide and in Afghanistan. Early detection helps long survival and reduces the mortality rate. The aim of this study was to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practice, and identify factors associated with them among women attending a tertiary hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan. This cross-sectional study was conducted from March to September 2023 at Cure hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan, surveying 268 females aged 18–49 years. Data was a structured questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics, reproductive history, and knowledge, attitude, and practice toward screening breast cancer. The questionnaire was administered through face-to-face interviews conducted by trained data collectors. Participants were selected through non-random convenience sampling. Binary and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with knowledge, attitude, and practice. Overall, 89.6% of participants had inadequate knowledge, 62.7% had positive attitudes, and 94.8% demonstrated poor screening practices about screening breast cancer. In the multivariable model, no sociodemographic or reproductive variables were independently associated with knowledge. However, age and educational status significantly predicted attitudes literate women (AOR = 4.84) and women with a history of lactation (AOR = 2.58) were more likely to have positive attitudes compared to illiterate women and women without a history of lactation, respectively. Regarding practice, education was the strongest determinant; literate women were more than twice as likely to show good practice (AOR = 2.32) compared to illiterate women. Educational status was a consistent predictor across domains; educational stats was significantly associated with and practice regarding breast cancer screening.