Determinants of Breast Cancer Knowledge among Public University Students
Abstract
Breast cancer is still a leading global health concern, with Malaysia experiencing a notable burden, accounting for approximately 34.1% of all female cancers between 2017 and 2021. The National Cancer Registry highlights the disease as a common cause of death among Malaysian women. Even though the case of breast cancer remains high, the level of breast cancer knowledge is still low, making it difficult to educate the community to effectively fight against the disease. Thus, this study aims to determine the influence of demographic factors and lifestyle factors on breast cancer knowledge and to examine the difference between gender and family history towards breast cancer knowledge levels among university students. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 261 students from the Bachelor’s Degree of Health Administration (Hons.) from Universiti Teknologi Mara, Puncak Alam Campus. Results indicated that gender is an important factor in breast cancer knowledge, with females exhibiting higher knowledge levels. Moreover, physical activity and healthy dietary patterns also emerged as significant predictors of a higher level of knowledge. Future research should continue promoting early screening and prevention, raising awareness of male breast cancer to emphasize its importance alongside female breast cancer. Implementing the gamification technique is an interesting way as an educational tool to attract more community members and improve their health-related knowledge.
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References
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