Risk factors of breast cancer among the primary health-care attendees in Eastern Saudi Arabia
Journal Title: International Journal of Medical Science and Public Health - Year 2016, Vol 5, Issue 2
Abstract
Background: Breast cancer has been the most common cancer among the Saudi female subjects for the last decades. Objective: To screen primary health-care (PHC) attendees for the risk factors of breast cancer in Eastern Saudi Arabia and assess their practice for the early detection of the disease. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the PHC centers of Al-Khobar city. Women attending the PHC centers aged 25 years and older were included in the study. Six hundred PHC attendees were selected from five health centers by proportionate allocation to the average population served by each health center. Data were collected by an interview questionnaire, which was composed of three sections: sociodemographic information, risk factors among PHC attendees, and practice for the early detection of breast cancer. The cancer risk was calculated by a cancer risk calculator and classified into low, moderate, and high risk. Result: About 7% of the study sample showed a moderate to high risk of developing breast cancer. The most common risk factor of breast cancer among the PHC attendees was the use of contraceptive pills (51.2%), followed by obesity (42.8%), breastfeeding for a period less than 12 months (24.3%), age of puberty less than 12 years (18.7%), history of breast cancer in the second degree relatives (9.5%), menopause (9.3%), and the use of hormonal replacement therapy (8%). Among the avoidable risk factors, obesity was significantly more common among the less-educated women, while breastfeeding for less than 12 months was more common among the highly-educated women. Moreover, the most common practiced measure for the early detection of breast cancer was breast self-examination (44.6%), followed by mammogram (16.3%) and, last, clinical examination (11.6%). Conclusion: A substantially large proportion of female PHC attendees showed the avoidable risk factors of breast cancer. Moreover, more than half of the population was not involved in screening for the early detection of the disease. This situation demands the attention of medical and public health workers.
Authors and Affiliations
Badria Khalid Aldabal, Manal Rida Koura
Retrospective and prospective histopathological study of tumors and tumor-like lesions of female genital tract
Background: Carcinoma of female genital tract is the major public health problem in developing countries such as India and other countries. Objective: (1) To obtain the overall incidence of various tumor and tumor...
A cross - sectional study on knowledge and attitude regarding kangaroo mother care practice among health care providers in Ahmedabad District
Background: One of the main reasons that Low Birth Weight (LBW) babies are at greater risk of illness and death is that they lack ability to control their body temperature. Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) is a powerful...
Socio-demographic profile and associated risk factors in cancer patients attending the Oncology OPD of a tertiary care teaching hospital in Western Maharashtra, India
Background: Cancer has become one of the ten leading causes of deaths in India. The common sites of cancer have close association with certain risk factors. The leading sites of cancer have varied in different geogr...
Prevalence of obesity among school children aged 10 to 12 years in Sambalpur
Background: Overweight and obesity are due to more intake of calories than its utilization. This overweight and obesity are the precursors of many fatal conditions. India is now in epidemiological polarization where...
Prevalence and predictors of tobacco and alcohol use among adults in rural area of Varanasi district
Background: What is the extent of tobacco and alcohol use among adults in a rural area of Varanasi district? Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of tobacco and alcohol use among adults in a rural area and the factors...