Table 3.
Understanding of breast cancer risk factors
| Risk factor | Medical students (N=320) | Non-med students (N=275) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cor % (n) | Incor %(n) | D/ K %(n) | Cor % (n) | Incor % (n) | DK %(n) | |
| A family history of breast cancer | 46(148) | 28 (88) | 20 (64) | 55 (150) | 18 (50) | 26(70) |
| Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) | 13 (43) | 23 (69) | 56 (178) | 11 (31) | 23 (62) | 63 (173) |
| Eating fatty foods, with little vegetables | 46 (146) | 10 (33) | 38 (121) | 39 (108) | 10 (27) | 49 (134) |
| A stressful life | 5 (16) | 65 (209) | 23 (75) | 5 (14) | 61 (168) | 32 (89) |
| Regular exercise | 1 (4) | 59 (189) | 31 (100) | 5 (13) | 55 (152) | 37 (102) |
| Having children before 30 years of age | 60 (193) | 16 (52) | 16 (52) | 58 (160) | 17 (46) | 24 (65) |
| Wearing tight bras | 30 (95) | 29 (94) | 34 (109) | 28 (78) | 27 (74) | 42 (116) |
| Being overweight | 38 (121) | 22 (69) | 35 (111) | 35 (87) | 33 (90) | 34 (93) |
| Using oral contraceptives | 38 (120) | 15(47) | 43 (136) | 25 (68) | 11 (30) | 62 (170) |
| Mammograms | 13 (40) | 33 (106) | 47 (151) | 15 (41) | 34 (93) | 49 (135) |
| A hard blow to the breast | 11 (34) | 39 (124) | 44 (141) | 14 (38) | 34 (94) | 47 (128) |
| Breast feeding | 2 (5) | 53 (170) | 40 (129) | 8 (21) | 43(117) | 48 (131) |
| Breast Implant | 28 (88) | 39 (125) | 28 (91) | 26 (72) | 27(73) | 44 (122) |
Note Cor=Correct, Incr= Incorrect, D/K= Don't Know;
*Values might not add up to 100% due to missing values and rounding off to 1 decimal place