E-poster Presentation 2014 World Cancer Congress

Awareness about breast-self examination and behavioral-related risk factors for breast cancer among young Colombian women: A cross-sectional analysis  (#736)

Jose F. Meneses- Echavez 1 2 , Robinson Ramírez-Vélez 1 , Marcia C. Chavarriaga Ríos 2 , Mohamed Farouk Allam 3 , David Chaparro Gómez 1 , Andrés D. Rincón Castro 1 , Germán G. Rincón Castro 1 , Diana L. Camelo Prieto 1 , Pablo A. Castellanos Gamboa 1 , Esteban Sabogal Alarcón 1 , Maria Alejandra Tordecilla Sanders 1
  1. Facultad de Cultura Física, Deporte y Recreación, Universidad Santo Tomás, Bogotá, DC, Colombia
  2. Departamento de Posgrados en Protección Social, Universidad Santo Tomás, Bogotá, Colombia
  3. Profesor Interino de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Córdoba, España. , Córdoba, Sapin

Background:

 Breast cancer is a growing public health problem worldwide. Breast-self examination (BSE) is an inexpensive strategy proposed to improve early detection and related to some reductions in mortality. Besides, behavioral risk factors are of special interest for cancer control and the overall burden of disease. 

Aim:

To establish assocations between the pratice of breast-self examination, the knowledge about breast cancer risk and behavioral-related risk factors for breast cancer among young Colombian women

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out involving data from 642 young Colombian women. Data for BSE were collected using validated tools and the Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System (BRFSS). 

Results: Women were a mean age of 30.7±11.8 years old. Fifty-seven percent of the women knew how to carry out BSE, although only 26.3% perfom it monthly. Further, a sedentary lifestyle was found in 53.3% of women and similar prevalences were observed for other behavioral variables. BSE was associated with age (p=0.02), socioeconomic status (p<0.001), knowledge about risk factors (p<0.001) and unhealthy lifestyles (p<0.001). 

Conclusions: There exists a low level of knowledge and practice of BSE among young Colombian women. This population is in a high-risk of breast cancer beacuse of the critical prevalences of some behaviors related to unhealthy lifestyles found in this study. Further health-promotion strategies are warranted.