Clinical breast examination as the recommended breast cancer screening modality in a rural community in Malaysia; what are the factors that could enhance its uptake?

PLoS One. 2014 Sep 4;9(9):e106469. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0106469. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most common cause of deaths and the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women worldwide. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of breast cancer screening, specifically on clinical breast examination, and the predictors of its uptake among women in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was carried out in five selected districts whereby women aged between 20 to 64 years old, from a total of 1000 households were interviewed. A total of 1192 women responded to the survey of which 53.3% reported had ever done clinical breast examination. Significant associations with clinical breast examination were noted for income and distance from the hospital. These factors should be considered in developing interventions aimed at promoting clinical breast examination. In particular, healthcare providers should be proactive in raising awareness about clinical breast examination among women in Malaysia.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Breast Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Early Detection of Cancer / methods*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Malaysia
  • Middle Aged
  • Rural Population
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Young Adult

Grants and funding

Financial support to MD by the Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya (Grant Number: RG410/12HTM), is gratefully acknowledged. URL: medicine.um.edu.my. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.