Breast self-examination - Knowledge, practice and associated factors among 20-49 years aged women in Butwal sub-metropolitan, Rupandehi, Nepal

Sep 24, 2026

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Breast cancer is a leading cause of mortality among women globally and also affects Nepalese women. Breast self-examination (BSE) offers an inexpensive, simple approach for early detection, which can improve outcomes when cancer is diagnosed at early stages. This cross-sectional study assessed BSE knowledge, practice, and associated factors among women aged 20–49 in Butwal sub-metropolitan, Rupandehi, Nepal, using structured interviews, observation, and statistical analyses to identify determinants of BSE practice.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Introduction

Breast cancer burden and risk factors

Funding and competing interests

PLOS ONE OPEN ACCESS Citation: B. K. M, Kaphle HP (2023) Breast selfexamination: Knowledge, practice and associated factors among 20 to 49 years aged women in Butwal sub-metropolitan, Rupandehi, Nepal. PLoSONE 18(6): e0286676 . [https://doi.org/10.1371/](https://doi.org/10.1371/)[ ](https://doi.org/10.1371/)[journal.pone.0286676](journal.pone.0286676) Editor: Seifadin Ahmed Shallo, Ambo University, ETHIOPIA Received: September 10, 2022 Accepted: May 20, 2023 Published: June 2, 2023 Peer Review History: PLOS recognizes the benefits of transparency in the peer review process; therefore, we enable the publication of all of the content of peer review and author responses alongside final, published articles. The editorial history of this article is available here: [https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286676](https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286676) [Copyright:](Copyright:) © [2023](2023) B. K., Kaphle. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Data Availability Statement: All relevant data are within the manuscript and its Supporting information files. RESEARCH ARTICLE Breast self-examination: Knowledge, practice and associated factors among 20 to 49 years aged women in Butwal sub-metropolitan, Rupandehi, Nepal Manisha B. K. *, Hari Prasad Kaphle School of Health and Allied Sciences, Pokhara University, Pokhara, Nepal * [senchurymanisha.190@gmail.com](senchurymanisha.190@gmail.com) Abstract Background Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in the world and also among Nepalese women. Breast self-examination is an important, cheap, and easy method for early diagnosis of breast cancer which can be cured in the majority of cases if diagnosed in the early stages. In developing countries like Nepal where the awareness regarding breast cancer and breast self-examination is poor, breast cancers are diagnosed at late stages resulting ina poor prognosis of the disease. The study assessed knowledge, practice, and factors associated with breast self-examination. Methods A cross-sectional survey was carried out among 262 women in the Butwal sub-metropolitan adopting multi-stage sampling. A pre-tested structured interview schedule and an observation checklist were used to collect the data. Data was entered in EPI-data and necessary univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were done in SPSS. Results The study found that more than half of the participants (55 .3%) had poor knowledge of BSE. Only one-fourth (27 . 1%) of them were practicing BSE and among them, most of them (93 .0%) had poor practice. The factors such as ethnicity from Brahmin/Chhetri [AOR = 2.099, 95% CI (1 .106–3.981)], use of contraceptive devices [AOR = 9.487, 95% CI (2 .166– 41.558)], personal history of breast lump [AOR = 12.502, 95% CI (1 .639–95.387)], family history of breast cancer [AOR = 5.729, 95% CI (1 .337–97.512)], and knowledge of BSE [AOR = 4.407, 95% CI = 2.160–34.650)] were significant determinants of BSE practice among 20–49 years women. Funding: Manisha B. K. corresponding author received grant with award number MRS-78-79-HS- 04 from University Grant Commission (UGC), Nepal. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. Conclusion The study concluded that most of the women had poor knowledge and practice of breast self-examination. The study also indicated the influence of ethnicity, contraceptives, personal and family history of cancer/early warning signs, and knowledge for practicing breast self-examination. There is an immediate need to increase the knowledge and practice of breast self-examination to prevent and detect breast cancer in

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the study on breast self-examination?

The study evaluates women’s knowledge and practice of breast self-examination and identifies factors associated with BSE practice among women aged 20–49 in Butwal sub-metropolitan, Nepal.

How were data and outcomes collected and analyzed?

A cross-sectional survey collected data from 262 women using a pre-tested structured interview schedule and an observation checklist. Data were entered in EPI-data and analyzed with univariate, bivariate, and multivariate methods in SPSS.

What proportion of participants had poor knowledge and poor BSE practice?

More than half of participants (55.3%) had poor BSE knowledge. Only about one-fourth (27.1%) practiced BSE, and among those, most (93.0%) had poor practice.

Which factors were significant determinants of BSE practice?

Significant determinants included ethnicity (Brahmin/Chhetri), use of contraceptive devices, personal history of breast lump, family history of breast cancer, and knowledge of BSE.

Sep 24, 2026

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