Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2026

DOI

10.1002/hsr2.73231

Publication Title

Health Science Reports

Volume

9

Issue

9

Pages

e73231 (13 pp.)

Abstract

Background and Aims

Breast cancer (BCa) is a major cause of cancer morbidity and mortality among women in Nigeria, with late presentation contributing to poor outcomes. This study assessed knowledge, attitudes, and willingness to perform breast self-examination (BSE) among adult females in Nigeria and examined associated factors.

Methods

We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional online survey between February 16 and April 30, 2024. A structured, pretested questionnaire was disseminated through digital platforms, yielding 711 consenting adult female respondents from all six geopolitical zones. Knowledge, attitude, and willingness-to-perform-BSE measures were analyzed using descriptive statistics, linear regression, and binary logistic regression. Associations were assessed using two-sided tests with α = 0.05. Because recruitment was online and non-probability based, the sample should not be interpreted as nationally representative.

Results

Of 711 respondents, 692 (97.3%) knew what BCa was, whereas 259 (36.4%) were aware of early screening modalities, and 321 (45.1%) reported knowledge of the BSE procedure. Positive attitudes toward screening were common: 704 (98.9%) considered screening useful for early detection, and 691 (97.3%) believed early screening improves survival. Although 696 (97.9%) reported willingness to perform BSE after instruction, this represented intention rather than verified regular or technically correct practice. Higher educational attainment was associated with greater willingness to perform BSE, but estimates were imprecise because the basic-education reference group was very small. Reliance on social media, radio/television, and campaigns was associated with lower knowledge scores, although these observational associations do not establish causality, and participants could report multiple information sources.

Conclusion

Among this digitally connected and relatively highly educated sample of adult Nigerian females, general awareness and attitudes toward BCa screening were favorable, but detailed knowledge of risk factors, screening modalities, and BSE procedures remained limited. Public health interventions should move beyond awareness creation to provide accurate, skill-based education through trusted channels. The findings should not be generalized to all Nigerian women, particularly those who are rural, less educated, older, or have limited digital access.

Rights

© 2026 The Authors.

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Data Availability

Article states: "The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.

The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request."

Original Publication Citation

Hassan, M., Adegboyega, T. T., Farouk, B. U., Bala, S. Z., Oduyemi, R. O., Owolabi, K., Sani, M., Livinus, M. U., Ayuba, H. U., Hassan, S., Okeke, I. M., Shekari, A., & Jibril, M. (2026). Bridging the knowledge-practice gap in breast cancer awareness: A nationwide online cross-sectional KAP study among adult females in Nigeria. Health Science Reports, 9(9), Article e73231. https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.73231

ORCID

0000-0002-6074-0217 (Shekari)

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