Factors Influencing Breast Cancer Knowledge and Attitudes of Women in Abbottabad, Pakistan

Sep 23, 2026

Uploaded by Aurelia

Questionnaire-based cross-sectional study assessing breast cancer (BC) knowledge, awareness, and beliefs among 300 women in Abbottabad, Pakistan, from January to April 2019. Structured, pre-validated instruments were administered via face-to-face interviews and analyzed using SPSS 25. Results showed 87.3% awareness of BC, with predominantly poor knowledge (51.5%). Knowledge and beliefs varied significantly by marital status, education, and residence (urban vs rural), and knowledge correlated weakly with beliefs (r=0.336, p=0.001).

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Material/Methods

Results

Conclusions

Keywords

CLINICAL RESEARCH e-ISSN 1643-3750 © Med Sci Monit, 2025; 31: e947608 DOI: 10. 12659/MSM.947608 Received: 2024.12.10 Accepted: 2025.01.30 Available online: 2025.02.19 Published: 2025.04.02 Authors’ Contribution: Study Design A Data Collection B Statistical Analysis C Data Interpretation D Manuscript Preparation E Literature Search F Funds Collection G ABE 1 ABDE 2 ABCE 1 ACDE 1 ABCDE 3 CDEFG 4,5 CDEFG 6 CDFG 7 Corresponding Author: Financial support: Conflict of interest: Factors Influencing Breast Cancer Knowledge and Attitudes of Women in Abbottabad, Pakistan Muhammad Arfat Yameen Sanaa Anjum Warda Khan Atif Ali Hira Khan Zhongkun Zhang Naji Alqahtani Sana Samreen 1 Department of Pharmacy, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Abbottabad, Pakistan 2 Department of Mathematics, University of Wah, Wah Cantt, Pakistan 3 Department of Pharmacy, Abbottabad University of Science and Technology, Havelian, Abbottabad, Pakistan 4 Department of Pharmacology, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China 5 Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA 6 Department of Nursing Administration and Education, College of Nursing, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 7 Department of Pharmacy, Aurobindo College of Pharmacy, Warangal, Telangana, India San Samreen, e-mail: [Sana.sam1994@gmail.com](Sana.sam1994@gmail.com) Project (RSPD2024R856), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia None declared Background: Breast cancer (BC) is a significant health issue in Pakistan, leading to higher mortality rates compared to other countries. Therefore, this questionnaire-based study aimed to assess knowledge, awareness, and beliefs about BC in 300 women in Abbottabad, Pakistan, between January and April 2019. Material/Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among healthy adult female residents of Abbottabad between January and April 2019 using structured, pre-validated questionnaires. Data collection was conducted through face-toface interviews. The questionnaire was divided into 3 sections with 17 items, including demographic information, knowledge about BC, and beliefs about BC. Data were analyzed using the SPSS version 25. A total of 300 women responded to the study invitation. Results: Of 300 respondents, 87.3%(n=262) were aware of BC. Among them, only 37 (14.1%) had good knowledge, 90 (34.4%) had average knowledge, and 135 (51.5%) had poor knowledge about BC. The majority of respondents exhibited positive beliefs (74%). Knowledge was significantly higher among single (6.77±2.87) and widowed (6.00±3.65) women compared to married women (p=0.001). Similarly, knowledge and beliefs about BC were higher among women with higher education (6.79±2.93; p=0.001; 6.76±2.12; p=0.025) compared to those with lower education. Women living in urban areas had greater knowledge (5.89±2.75) than those in rural areas (4.58±2.78), suggesting a significant difference. A weak positive correlation between knowledge and beliefs (r=0.336, p=0.001) was identified. Conclusions: Study participants had low knowledge about BC but generally positive beliefs, highlighting the need for targeted education and awareness programs to improve knowledge about BC among women in Abbottabad. Keywords: Breast Cyst • Cancer Care Facilities • Diagnosis • Knowledge Full-text PDF: [https://www.medscimonit.com/abstract/index/idArt/947608](https://www.medscimonit.com/abstract/index/idArt/947608) 3371 5 3 44 Publisher’s note: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publi

FAQs

How was the study conducted in Abbottabad, Pakistan?

A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey was conducted among healthy adult women residents of Abbottabad from January to April 2019 using structured, pre-validated questionnaires and face-to-face interviews.

What did the results show about women's knowledge of breast cancer?

Among 300 respondents, 87.3% were aware of breast cancer, but only 14.1% had good knowledge, while 51.5% had poor knowledge.

Which factors were associated with higher knowledge and beliefs about breast cancer?

Knowledge was higher among single and widowed women, and it was also higher among women with higher education and women living in urban areas. Knowledge and beliefs showed a weak positive correlation (r=0.336, p=0.001).

Sep 23, 2026

Uploaded by Aurelia