Table 2. Knowledge concerning BC risk factors, aetiology and prevention.
| Question | Healthcare professionals | Healthcare students | Total | p-valueb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Correct answera | ||||
| History of smoking (risk factor) | 176 (91.7) | 154 (81.5) | 330 (86.6) | 0.0035 |
| Family history of BC (risk factor) | 191 (97.4) | 172 (89.1) | 363 (93.3) | 0.0010 |
| No history of breastfeeding (risk factor) | 58 (81.9) | 136 (73.1) | 294 (77.6) | 0.0413 |
| Having multiple sex partners (non-risk factor) | 144 (80.4) | 112 (64.7) | 256 (72.7) | 0.0009 |
| First birth occurring after mother is ≥30 years old (risk factor) | 65 (36.1) | 108 (63.2) | 173 (49.3) | <0.0001 |
| Obesity (risk factor) | 137 (74.9) | 122 (69.7) | 259 (72.4) | n.s. |
| Increased age (risk factor) | 134 (70.9) | 125 (70.2) | 259 (70.6) | n.s. |
| Use of oral contraceptive pills (risk factor) | 56 (30.3) | 108 (63.2) | 164 (46.1) | <0.0001 |
| Larger breasts (non-risk factor) | 120 (64.9) | 86 (48.6) | 206 (56.9) | 0.0018 |
| BC is one of the leading causes of death in women worldwide (true) | 187 (95.4) | 173 (86.5) | 360 (90.9) | 0.0020 |
| BC is preventable (false) | 12 (6.2) | 20 (10.9) | 32 (8.5) | n.s. |
| It is possible to detect pre-cancerous breast tissue cells (true) | 186 (95.4) | 177 (92.1) | 363 (93.8) | n.s. |
| The purpose of screening for BC is to detect pre-cancerous changes and the appearance of cancer (true) |
180 (92.8) | 174 (90.6) | 354 (91.7) | n.s. |
| If untreated, BC can be fatal (true) | 181 (93.8) | 180 (93.3) | 361 (93.5) | n.s. |
| BC is not curable (false) | 143 (75.3) | 130 (67.7) | 273 (71.5) | n.s. |
| BC is most common among women in their 20s (false) | 70 (37.8) | 93 (52.8) | 163 (45.2) | 0.0042 |
| Only women can get BC (false) | 94 (49.0) | 81 (43.6) | 175 (46.3) | n.s. |
| Any woman is at risk for BC (true) | 139 (72.4) | 143 (77.7) | 282 (75.0) | n.s. |