Comparative Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes,and Practice of Breast Self-Examination among FemaleSecondary and Tertiary School Students in Ghana

Background. Breast cancer remains a serious public health problem globally. It is particularly increasing among adolescents andpremenopausal women. Breast self-examination (BSE) is the most effective and feasible means of detecting breast cancer earlyin developing countries. This study aimed at evaluating and comparing knowledge of BSE among secondary and tertiary schoolstudents and at revealing their attitudes and practices about BSE.Method. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 1036female secondary and tertiary school students of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and Technology SeniorHigh School. Data was obtained using a pretested questionnaire to access sociodemography, knowledge, attitudes, and practiceof BSE among the students.Result. Most students were within the age of 15–24 years; 90.9% were aware of BSE. A high level ofknowledge on BSE was found in 54.5% of the students. Knowledge was significantly higher in tertiary than secondary schoolstudents(p=0.002).24.1% of the students thought BSE could be performed anytime; however only 8.1% of the students performedBSE monthly as recommended, whilst 41.8% had never practiced. Of these, more secondary students had never practiced BSE ascompared to the tertiary students. 22.3% indicated they would wait for a change in a detected breast lump before seeking medicalattention. 96.3% of the participants agree BSE is a good practice which must be encouraged.Conclusion. Teaching of BSE shouldbe intensified beginning at the high school level, emphasizing practice and its benefits for early detection of breast cancer.