Male Partners’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perception of Women’s Breast Cancer in Abha, Southwestern Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is ranked as the most frequently diagnosed cancer site among women in Saudi Arabia. Several studies in Saudi Arabia have reported low awareness of BC and significant obstacles to early presentation among Saudi women. A key sociocultural obstacle against breast screening and early detection of BC in several conservative cultures is that men manage women’s choices and activities. The aim of this research is to find out the key background knowledge, attitudes, and related practice among male partners in the city of Abha in relation to women’s BC prevention and means for early detection. Methods: A cross-sectional study targeting husbands aged 20 years or older chosen from the outpatient clinics in the Urban Primary Health Care Centers in Abha City. Through questionnaires, interview data were collected regarding knowledge about BC and wife practices and attitudes towards BC. Results: The study included 832 husbands. The study showed that only 20.2% (95% confidence interval (CI): 19.9–24.1) of husbands had heard about mammography and only 22.1% had heard about breast self-examination among women as a screening test for BC. The most commonly mentioned variations that might occur in relation to BC were size changes (45.6%). The leading source of BC knowledge was from television (48.9%), and the least-mentioned source of information was healthcare workers (22.4%). Husbands mentioned that only 9.3% of wives had been examined before by mammography. In a multivariate logistic regression of male factors associated with wives’ practices and attitudes towards BC, only good knowledge among husbands was a significant factor. Conclusions: The study documented the low level of BC knowledge among male partners. There is an urgent need to pay more consideration to disseminating awareness among men, as they are associates, and they must be armed with proper awareness. There is an urgent demand for establishing a national program and educational campaigns towards BC. Stressing the advantages and access to free mammography is necessary.

Husbands’ Knowledge of Breast Cancer and Their Wives’ Attitudes and Practices Related to Breast Cancer Screening in Saudi Arabia: Cross-sectional Online Survey

“…If considered cumulatively, our findings suggest that the husbands’ knowledge substantially increased the probability of their wives’ participation in mammogram and BSE screening methods. Similar findings were also reported in another study [ 19 ].…”

“…In line with existing evidence [ 19 ], our study also found a significant association between the age of the husbands and their wives’ utilization of mammograms, CBEs, and BSE, as well as their wives’ attitudes toward learning about BSE. We found that only a husband age of 40-49 years had a significant relationship with CBE uptake, whereas almost all ages (40-49, 50-59, and 60 years or older) showed a significant association with mammogram uptake.…”

“…The questionnaire was developed by the authors based on several previous studies [ 3 , 12 , 14 , 19 , 20 ]. The questionnaire consisted of three main parts: sociodemographic characteristics of the participants, knowledge about breast cancer and screening methods, and knowledge of wives’ practices and attitudes related to breast cancer screening.…”

“…Similar to several countries in the Middle East and the Arab world, the KSA has a conservative culture, and men usually manage many of the decisions, choices, and actions of women [ 18 , 19 ]. A sociocultural barrier exists for breast cancer screening practices, and failure to account for such barriers can undermine the success of well-established cancer care programs [ 20 ].…”

“…A sociocultural barrier exists for breast cancer screening practices, and failure to account for such barriers can undermine the success of well-established cancer care programs [ 20 ]. Although some studies have explored men’s knowledge in relation to women’s attitudes and practices related to breast cancer screening methods [ 18 , 19 , 21 , 22 ], these studies either did not explore the association between men’s knowledge and their wives’ practices regarding breast cancer screening or did not control for socioeconomic gradients. Thus, the degree to which men’s knowledge can support women to take actions for better protection from breast cancer in a country such as the KSA is not fully understood.…”