Self-Efficacy and Perceived Barriers as Determinants of Breast Self-Examination Among Female Nonmedical Students of the University of Ghana

Breast cancer mortality in sub-Saharan Africa is comparatively high largely because of low levels of knowledge and late presentation at hospitals. Breast self-examination (BSE) provides an important way of early detection of breast cancer, particularly for resource constrained countries. This study therefore examined the factors which influence the performance of BSE among female undergraduate nonmedical students of the University of Ghana. A cross-sectional survey was conducted between April and May 2018. It involved 308 students drawn from the University of Ghana. The instrument was based on the Health Belief Model and the Breast Cancer Knowledge questionnaires. The results suggest that about a quarter (23.4%) of the participants performed BSE at least once every month, despite 75.3% believing that checking the breast every month helps in early detection of breast cancer. As expected, those who had ever performed BSE had higher knowledge of breast cancer (M = 6.722, standard deviation [SD] = 2.090) compared with those who had never performed BSE (M = 4.850, SD = 1.982), p = . 000. Similarly, they perceived barriers to performing BSE to be lower (M = 17.900, SD = 5.733) compared with nonperformers (M = 19.850, SD = 6.976), p < .05. Results of logistic regression analysis indicated that knowledge level, self-efficacy, and level at the university were statistically significant predictors of BSE. Educational and training programs that focus on equipping women with the skill to perform BSE are therefore recommended.