KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS SCREENING MAMMOGRAPHY AMONG 400 WOMEN IN THE EASTERN PROVINCE OF SAUDI ARABIA

OBJECTIVE: Assess knowledge and attitude of Saudi females towards screening mammography. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A sample of four hundred Saudi females were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. RESULTS: Positive family history of breast cancer was the most significant factor that was positively associated with individual knowledge and attitude towards screening mammography (p<0.00001). There was no significant association with the level of education. Poor knowledge and attitude were observed among 41.8% of all participants, especially in relation to not having mammography done or not wishing to have it done. There were 51 (12.8%) participants who had not had mammography done, but wished to have it, 25 (6.3%) participants who were undecided about having mammography done in the future, while 67 (16.8%) wished to have it done every one to two years. CONCLUSION: This study showed that there has been deficient knowledge and attitude towards screening mammography even among the highly educated, and stressed the need for health education on the importance of screening.