The Impact of Community-Based Awareness Campaigns on the Early Breast Examination among Women at King Faisal University

Background and Objective: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer between females in Saudi Arabia, the eastern area ranked as the first in the incidence rate. As the breast cancer awareness movement has expanded, majority of the new cases are still diagnosed in a later stage. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of breast cancer awareness campaigns on the knowledge and practice of early breast examination (EBE) which consisted of breast-self examination (BSE), clinical breast examination (CBE) and mammography, among women at King Faisal University. Methodology: A cross-sectional study carried out at King Faisal University, Al-Hassa city on a sample of 300 adult females from different urban and rural areas. A pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire was distributed to the participants. The questionnaire contains questions about: socio-demographic factors, awareness campaigns, practice and knowledge of breast cancer and early screening methods. Results: The age of the participants ranged from 16 to 60 years; 53% of the participants have attended campaigns; and 47% have never attended. Regarding the practice of BSE, CBE and mammography, the results were 8.8%, 3.3%, and 4.3%, respectively. The results show a significant relation between attending campaigns and good level of practice and knowledge. Conclusion and Recommendation: The findings indicate a great impact of the community-based awareness campaigns on the practice of EBE. The study recommends a multilevel intervention for every age group, specially the age group that at risk.