Health Literacy in Breast Cancer among Reproductive-aged Women in Lampang Province

Abstract

This cross-sectional descriptive study had an objective to explore health literacy and its influential factors on breast cancer among reproductive-aged women living in Lampang Province. Data were collected from 439 women by convenient sampling method during 30 June 2021 to 6 August 2021 by an interview with a questionnaire. The data were analyzed by frequency distribution, percentages, means, standard deviation, and Chi-square statistics. Results of the study described the characteristics of the study samples who had, mainly, 36.90% aged 40-49 years, 56.72% were married, 67.20% earned below bachelor's degree, 32.35% raised by waged occupation, and 46.92% had sufficient income without savings, 97.49% had never smoked, 79.27% had drunk alcohol in the past 6 months, 94.99% had no family history of breast cancer, and 57.18% did not ever try to do breast self-screening. Furthermore, the health literacy of breast cancer declared that access to health information and health service cognitive concerning self-management ability had a high score of communication and decision-making skills, however, the media literacy possessed a moderate score. The personal factors, which were related to the health literacy of breast cancer, showed statistical significant differences at p-value<0.05 level consisted of age, occupation, amount of sufficient earn per month, and experience of breast self-examination. Suggestion could be made for the medical and public health personnel to encourage and educate the people about the risk of breast cancer. Performance to literate how to do breast self-screening including continuous and routine check-up by a mammogram in high-risk women at childbearing ages could probably increase their literacy.