Knowledge of Breast Cancer Risk Factors among a Cohort of Nurses in Iran

Background: Improving the knowledge of healthcare providers towards different aspects of breast cancer leads to appropriate management and screening of disease. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge of breast cancer risk factors among a cohort of nurses in Iran. Materials and Methods: The target group of the present study was 243 consecutive nurses (27 males and 216 females) at two referral hospitals in Semnan province, Iran, between March 2012 and February 2013. The data concerning the nurses’ knowledge of breast cancer risk factors was collected using a predesigned questionnaire. Results: In total, 9.9% of nurses had poor, 71.2% had intermediate and only 18.9% had good level of knowledge towards breast cancer risk factors. The level of knowledge towards risk factors was not affected by nurses’ gender, age, level of education, years of experience, marital status, presence of a history of breast problem, or history of caring for a breast cancer patient. However, those nurses with a family history of breast cancer especially those with a patient as a first degree relative had significantly higher level of knowledge about the disease risk factors. The highest level of knowledge on breast cancer risk factors was observed among nurses working in CCU wards, while the lowest level of knowledge was found in pediatrics and psychiatry wards. Among nurses working in obstetrics and gynecology wards, 15.8% had a poor level, 68.4% had an intermediate level, and only 15.8% had an acceptable level of knowledge on breast cancer risk factors. Conclusion: This study revealed a relatively low awareness of breast cancer risk factors among nurses emphasizing the need for adding proper education programs aimed at improving the knowledge of breast cancer risk factors among our nurses.