THE KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE OF BREAST SELF-EXAMINATION AMONG FEMALE UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL STUDENTS IN EDO STATE UNIVERSITY, UZAIRUE

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer, a leading cause of mortality among women globally, underscores the importance of early detection through self-examination (BSE). Empowering women with BSE skills which is highlighted as a cost effective, accessible method is crucial for timely identification of breast abnormalities, thus aiding in reducing mortality rates associated with breast cancer. METHODOLOGY: This study adopted a cross-sectional design. A stratified sampling technique was utilized dividing the female medical students into strata based on levels and for each stratum, a simple random sampling method was used to get the respondents for this study. The minimum sample size was determined using the Cochran"s formula estimating it at 112 respondents. The data was collected using a questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 27. RESULTS: The majority of respondents were aged 15-20 years (75.9%), single (100%), and students (100%). Christianity was the predominant religion (89.2%). 95.5% had heard of breast cancer, with media being the primary source of information (62.5%). 97.3% had heard of BSE, mostly from media (36.1%) and health workers (31.3%). 70.5% practiced BSE, with 50.6% performing it monthly. However, only 50.9% had been trained in BSE, primarily by health workers (29.5%). 96.4% reported no myths about BSE, but 40.2% identified cultural beliefs as a source of misconceptions. Educational campaigns were considered effective in dispelling myths by 94.6% of respondents. Significant associations were found between knowledge and practice of BSE (p = 0.0187), with better knowledge correlating with better practice. CONCLUSION: The study revealed a generally good level of knowledge and practice of BSE among the students. However, there are gaps in training and the presence of cultural misconceptions that need to be addressed through targeted educational strategies.