Breast cancer literacy among higher secondary students: results from a cross-sectional study in Western Nepal.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Being the most common cancer among women worldwide, it is vital to be well-aware of breast cancer risk factors, symptoms and curability. However, few studies have reported breast cancer literacy in students using a validated instrument. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among students of grades 11 and 12 from eleven higher secondary schools, one selected randomly from each ilaka of Parbat district. Questionnaire with modified Comprehensive Breast Cancer Knowledge Test was self-administered to 516 students. Knowledge score was categorized into two categories: 'good knowledge' and 'poor knowledge' taking median score as the cut-off. Chi-square test was used to determin..