US Female College Students’ Breast Health Knowledge, Attitudes, and Determinants of Screening Practices: New Implications for Health Education

Abstract

Objective: This study examined female college students’ knowledge, attitudes, and breast cancer screening and determined significant predictors of breast self-examination, clinical breast examination, and mammography among this population. Participants: A convenience sample of 1,074 college women from 3 universities participated in the research. Methods: Respondents completed an online version of the Toronto Breast Self-examination Instrument as well as questions developed by the authors. Results: Descriptive statistics showed gaps in college women's knowledge of breast health and negative attitudes toward screening that were relative to age. Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses revealed that knowledge, attitudes, and copay were significant predictors of screening, whereas family history and ethnicity were not. Conclusions: This study supported previous smaller-sample studies that showed college women to be a priority population for breast health education and revealed new significant factors that should be addressed in health education for this group.

Keywords:

• breast concern
• breast health
• college women
• community health
• gender
• health education