Women's Knowledge About Breast Cancer Screening in Hungary

OBJECTIVES: About 5,500 to 5,700 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed every year in Hungary, and approximately 2,300 to 2,500 women die due to cancer. In our study, we aimed to evaluate the level of knowledge women have about breast screening.

METHODS: In our quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive study, our sample was selected with non-probability convenient method, and consisted of Hungarian women aged 14–80 years without a history of breast cancer (N=417). The self-administered questionnaire included questions about socio-demographic data, level of knowledge about breast cancer screening, and self-examination. The maximum score on the knowledge test was 30 points. In addition to the descriptive statistics, χ² test, t-test, ANOVA and correlation analysis were calculated as inferential statistical tests using SPSS 20.0 software (p<0.05).

RESULTS: Mean age of the respondents was 37.54±15.98 years (min=14 years, max=79 years). 67.7% of the participants performs self-assessment. The average score of the knowledge test is 13.21±3.96 points (min= 3, max= 24). There is a weak, positive correlation between age and level of knowledge (r=0.145, p<0.05). The skill is also affected by educational level and employment type (p<0.05); however, it does not show significant differences between different places of residences (p>0.05). Self-examiners scored higher on the knowledge test (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: We cannot be satisfied with the knowledge of the participants regarding breast cancer and screening, so further promotion of prevention programs and increasing skill levels is an essential task in the future.