Factors Affecting Breast Cancer Screening among Elderly Women in Ain Shams University Hospitals

Abstract

The aim of the current study is to determine factors affecting breast cancer screening among elderly women to create a culturally appropriate and effective intervention to improve breast cancer outcomes in the developing countries A total of 240 Egyptian women are recruited from outpatient clinics of Ain Shams University Hospitals with mean age of 65.63 years old. Most of them are married, live in urban areas, illiterate, not working and perceive their income level as insufficient with no health insurance. Also most of the study sample is independent in ADL and IADL and 14.3% of them have depression. As regard sociodemographic characteristics in the current study, it was found that women with health insurance, married and functionally independent in ADL are more likely to do BCS, however it was found that other sociodemographic variables and the perceived income level were not significant in relation to attendance In the current study, the most common risk factor of breast cancer among the participants is use of contraception and the least common risk factor is presence of positive family history of breast cancer. In the current study it was found that the risk factors which affect breast cancer screening practice are irregularity of menstruation, less number of children, early menarche, late menopause and breastfeeding. Additionally it was found that the majority of the participants knew about the occurrence of breast cancer and more than half of them knew about breast cancer symptoms, 69.4% of them knew that presence of lump is the most common presenting symptom for breast cancer and the main source of knowledge is mass media.