Awareness and Practice of Breast Self-Examination Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Clinics in Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study

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Introduction Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer among women globally, with Sub-Saharan African countries leading breast cancer mortalities worldwide. Breast self-examination (BSE) is a cost-effective intervention for detecting breast cancer in low-resource settings. Objective This study aimed to assess the awareness and practice of BSE among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Ghana. Methods A cross-sectional study design with convenience sampling was used to survey 536 pregnant women attending antenatal clinics at two facilities in Kumasi City, Ghana. Data was collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) to assess BSE awareness and practice. Logistic regression was used to assess association between sociodemographic data and levels of awareness and practice of BSE, with statistical significance established at p < .05. Results The study revealed a high level of awareness of BSE (84%) among pregnant women. Over half (57.4%) of respondents practiced BSE, with (58.5%) of women performing BSE following education received at the antenatal clinic. Women with moderate BSE awareness level had significantly lower odds of practicing BSE than those with high BSE awareness level (aOR = 0.20, 95% CI: 0.11, 0.36, p <.01). Respondents with secondary level education had significantly lower odds of having high BSE awareness level than those with tertiary education (aOR = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.17–0.84, p < .01). Similarly, women with secondary level of education had significantly lower odds of practicing BSE compared to those with tertiary education (aOR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.33–0.84, p < .01). Conclusion The study revealed a gap between awareness and practice of BSE among pregnant women in a low-resource country. The findings demonstrate the need for stakeholders to intensify breast awareness and BSE campaigns within hospitals, schools, and community to bridge this gap.