Knowledge, Attitude and Practice about the Breast Cancer Risk Factors and Screening Methods among Saudi Females in Bisha Region

Knowledge of breast cancer-associated risk factors and screening methods increases the likelihood of early detection, which is directly related to the outcome. This cross-sectional study utilized self-administered online questionnaires about knowledge regarding the risk factors and attitude towards breast cancer screening practice. The responses of 409 adult Saudi females were collected from the Bisha, Asir region, between April and September 2023. The results showed that 311 (76.04%) participants had poor overall knowledge about breast cancer. Age, marital status, and education were significantly associated with the level of knowledge (-value <0.05). Participants could identify increasing age, past medical or family history of breast cancer, and the use of hormone replacement therapy as the most common risk factors. However, only 164 (40.10%) participants ever performed a breast self-examination, and only 32 (7.82%) did it monthly. Only 64 (15.65%) participants were enrolled for mammography. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the participant's level of knowledge was significantly affected by age (OR 0.476489; 95%CI, 0.266-0.854; 0.006424), marital status (OR 0.559148; 95%CI, 0.348-0.899; 0.008155) and family history of BC (OR 1.609428; 95%CI, 0.978-2.647; 0.030455). There is a huge need for awareness programs in this region, with an emphasis on breast self-examination training and screening practice.