Evaluating the knowledge and awareness of breast density amongst Maltese Women undergoing mammography screening

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this dissertation was to evaluate the knowledge and awareness of breast density amongst Maltese women attending a mammogram at the national breast screening programme. The objectives chosen included evaluating the knowledge of breast density and the risks associated with increased breast density, awareness of imaging in dense breasts, the socio-demographic factors affecting breast density knowledge and awareness and the information sources women prefer to obtain information about dense breasts. Methodology A quantitative, prospective, cross-sectional, and descriptive study. The questionnaire included close-ended questions to obtain socio-demographic characteristics of the participants and to measure their knowledge and awareness of breast density, according to the study's objectives. Results In total, 127 questionnaires were collected. Overall women were not knowledgeable about breast density (mean rating 2.80-3.34 out of 5). Participants were more aware that breast cancer might be missed on a mammogram when the breast is dense (3.24), rather than being aware that women with dense breasts are at a greater risk of getting breast cancer (2.82). Most women were aware of additional imaging used for dense breasts (3.65). Women aged 50-54 (mean 2.92- 3.85) with an undergraduate degree (2.86-4.14) and a job related to healthcare (3.20-3.80) were the most knowledgeable. Regarding information sources, most women preferred to obtain information from a healthcare professional (40%) or leaflets (40%). The rest preferred to obtain information from television adverts or programmes (34.8%), internet sources (35.7%) and social media (37.4%). Conclusion From this study, it was concluded that there is a lack of knowledge and awareness about dense breasts. Patients’ preferences for receiving this information were also identified. However, it is recommended that further studies with a larger sample or interviews should be carried out.