Breast Cancer Awareness among Rural Women in Terengganu, Malaysia
Abstract
In Malaysia, breast cancer cases show increasing in numbers especially those diagnosed at the advanced stages and becoming a high health burden to the country. Most of these cases are reported in rural areas. The late presentation at the time of diagnosis resulted in a low survival rate and poor prognosis to the affected women. This study conducted to determine the level of knowledge, attitude, and the perception toward breast cancer especially among women in rural Terengganu. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2017 among 383 women in rural areas in Terengganu. Multivariable analyses using multiple logistic regression revealed that perceived barrier scores (p < 0.002) were found to be significantly associated with preventive activities after controlling the cofounders. This study revealed that women in rural Terengganu have good awareness of breast cancer, including general knowledge and its’ risk factors but they perform poorly when it comes to its preventive activities. There is a crucial need to increase the awareness regarding breast cancer so that early intervention can be carried out because the worrying number of advanced cases are reported from the rural area in Malaysia.
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