Breast cancer knowledge and participation in breast screening practices among Southeast Asian women living in Sydney

Objective: This study explores the factors that influence breast-screeningparticipation in Southeast Asian (SEA) women living in Sydney. InternationallySEA women have displayed low participation in breast screening due to a lack ofgeneral breast cancer knowledge and knowledge regarding available screeningpractices. Ethnicity, socio-demographic and acculturation variables often shapeperceptions regarding preventative health behaviour (breast screening) andimpact on health belief measures, however the influence of these variables in anAustralian setting is unknown.Design: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted on a sampleof 183 SEA women specifically Filipino, Indonesian, Thai and Vietnamese. Dataon socio-demographic variables, knowledge and participation in breastscreening were analysed using quantitative techniques in SPSS.Result: Filipino women demonstrated more knowledge than the other threeethnicities; however all ethnic groups demonstrated poor to average knowledgeregarding breast cancer. Knowledge regarding breast cancer symptoms wassignificantly related to participation in mammography for each ethnic group.Notable barriers to breast screening included pain, being too time-consuming,lack of a GP recommendation and fear of cancer detection.Conclusion: The low participation demonstrated in these communities’highlights the immediate need to initiate culturally sensitive health interventionsfor SEA women in Sydney, which can be used for other ethnic groups similar tothe ones included in this study. It is essential to increase general breast cancerknowledge as it plays an important role in initiating breast screening