Knowledge, Perception, and Risk Awareness about Breast Cancer among Nursing Staff in a General Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Abstract Context: Early diagnosis of cancer improves chances of survival, and primary care nurses are more likely to encounter cancer signs and refer them to specialists. Aim: To assess knowledge of breast cancer (BC), its risk factors, and symptoms among female nurses in a Saudi hospital. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study of female nurses of a general hospital in Saudi Arabia. Methods and Material: Female nurses with permanent jobs were included in the study. Under-training nurses were excluded from the study. Data was collected through a questionnaire containing 18 questions. Statistical Analysis Used: Frequencies and percentages of all the variables and regression analysis were done on IBM SPSS software. Results: A total of 80 female nurses participated in the study. The mean age of the study population was 28.1 ± 1.6. Their work experience was 4.8 ± 2 years. Those participants who could answer only <6 of the total 18 questions were graded to have “Poor” knowledge, those correctly answering 6–12 questions were graded to have “Moderate” knowledge, those answering 12–16 questions were graded to have “Good,” and those answering >16 questions correctly were graded to have “Very good” knowledge. About 19% of the participants had “Poor” knowledge, about 39% of participants had “Moderate” knowledge, 26% had “Good” knowledge, and 16% had “Very good” knowledge. Regression analysis could not show the effects of age or experience on knowledge. Conclusions: One-fifth of nurses had poor BC knowledge, highlighting the need for awareness interventions.