March 7, 2024 | Muhammad Abdul Rehman, Erfa Tahir, Huzaifa Ghulam Hussain, Ayesha Khalid, Syed Mohammad Taqi, Eilaf Ahmed Meenai
This systematic review and meta-analysis examines the awareness of breast cancer (BCa) among Pakistani women. The study, conducted by researchers from Dow University of Health Sciences in Karachi, Pakistan, aimed to assess the prevalence of knowledge about BCa, its risk factors, symptoms, diagnostic modalities, and treatments, as well as the attitudes and practices related to BCa screening.
The review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Data were collected from 18 studies published between 2010 and 2023, involving 9,766 Pakistani women. The studies were selected based on their observational design and focus on non-medical women in Pakistan. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) quality assessment tool was used to evaluate the risk of bias in the included studies.
The results showed alarmingly low levels of BCa awareness among Pakistani women. Only 42.7% knew about risk factors, 41.8% about symptoms, 36.3% about diagnostic modalities, and 46.6% about treatments. The prevalence of breast self-examination (BSE) and clinical breast examination (CBE) was 28.7% and 15.3%, respectively. Educational status, age, and socioeconomic status were significantly associated with better BCa knowledge.
The study highlights the urgent need for nationwide awareness programs to improve BCa knowledge and screening practices in Pakistan. The high BCa death rate in the country underscores the importance of addressing this issue. The findings also suggest that interventions targeting education and socioeconomic status could be effective in enhancing BCa awareness and reducing mortality rates.This systematic review and meta-analysis examines the awareness of breast cancer (BCa) among Pakistani women. The study, conducted by researchers from Dow University of Health Sciences in Karachi, Pakistan, aimed to assess the prevalence of knowledge about BCa, its risk factors, symptoms, diagnostic modalities, and treatments, as well as the attitudes and practices related to BCa screening.
The review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Data were collected from 18 studies published between 2010 and 2023, involving 9,766 Pakistani women. The studies were selected based on their observational design and focus on non-medical women in Pakistan. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) quality assessment tool was used to evaluate the risk of bias in the included studies.
The results showed alarmingly low levels of BCa awareness among Pakistani women. Only 42.7% knew about risk factors, 41.8% about symptoms, 36.3% about diagnostic modalities, and 46.6% about treatments. The prevalence of breast self-examination (BSE) and clinical breast examination (CBE) was 28.7% and 15.3%, respectively. Educational status, age, and socioeconomic status were significantly associated with better BCa knowledge.
The study highlights the urgent need for nationwide awareness programs to improve BCa knowledge and screening practices in Pakistan. The high BCa death rate in the country underscores the importance of addressing this issue. The findings also suggest that interventions targeting education and socioeconomic status could be effective in enhancing BCa awareness and reducing mortality rates.