Abstract:
Breast cancer mortality in sub-Saharan Africa is comparatively high largely because of low levels of knowledge and late presentation at
hospitals. Breast self-examination (BSE) provides an important way of early detection of breast cancer, particularly for resource
constrained countries. This study therefore examined the factors which influence the performance of BSE among female undergraduate
nonmedical students of the University of Ghana. A cross-sectional survey was conducted between April and May 2018. It involved
308 students drawn from the University of Ghana. The instrument was based on the Health Belief Model and the Breast Cancer
Knowledge questionnaires. The results suggest that about a quarter (23.4%) of the participants performed BSE at least once every
month, despite 75.3% believing that checking the breast every month helps in early detection of breast cancer. As expected, those who
had ever performed BSE had higher knowledge of breast cancer (M¼6.722, standard deviation [SD]¼2.090) compared with those
who had never performed BSE (M¼4.850, SD¼1.982), p¼. 000. Similarly, they perceived barriers to performing BSE to be lower
(M¼17.900, SD¼5.733) compared with nonperformers (M¼19.850, SD¼6.976), p<.05. Results of logistic regression analysis
indicated that knowledge level, self-efficacy, and level at the university were statistically significant predictors of BSE. Educational and
training programs that focus on equipping women with the skill to perform BSE are therefore recommended.
