Background/Purpose According to the National Cancer Institute, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in young women ages 15-54. A projected 11,100 women under age 40 will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, and more than 1,100 will die. Very few studies have examined what college women know about this topic and none have assessed predictors of breast health screening among this group. Therefore, this study examined female college students' knowledge, attitudes, and breast cancer screening and determined significant predictors of breast self exam (BSE), clinical breast exam (CBE), and mammography among this population.
Method A convenience sample of 1,071 college women from three universities completed an online version of the Toronto Breast Self Examination Instrument (TBSEI), as well as questions developed by the authors.
Analysis/Results Descriptive statistics showed gaps in college women's knowledge of breast health and negative attitudes toward screening that were relative to age. Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses revealed that knowledge, attitudes, and copay were significant predictors of screening, while family history and ethnicity were not.
Conclusions Although awareness of breast cancer and the importance of early detection have become public health priorities, media storylines and controversies are adversative. By increasing college women's exposure to breast health education, women may be more likely and less fearful to practice breast health screening. The findings from this study can be used by college health professionals to develop more effective, culturally relative campus-based programs, activities and events to improve college women's breast health knowledge, attitudes, and screening behaviors.
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