Determinants of Breast Cancer Screening Practice among Women in Indonesia: A Nationwide Study

Breast cancer remains the leading cause of death for women globally, including in Indonesia. Breast cancer screening plays a vital role in reducing deaths caused by breast cancer. However, breast cancer screening rate is still low and studies on determinants for breast cancer screening is limited in Indonesia. This study aimed to identify the determinants of breast cancer screening among women in Indonesia.

This population-based study was conducted among 827 women who lived in either rural and urban areas, using a stratified sampling design where were based on province and locality combinations. Data were analysed using a binary logistic regression model to assess the associations between independent and dependent variables.

As many as 827 women with an average age of 29.91 (± 11.14) years old participated in this study. The overall breast cancer screening among women was 18.74%. Knowledge of breast cancer risk factors, signs, and symptoms (adj.OR = 1.75, 95%CI: 1.20 - 2.56), age of 35 to 39 years old (adj.OR. = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.02 - 2.26), and household income of ≥6,000,000 IDR (≥457 USD) (adj.OR. = 5.19, 95%CI: 1.43-18.84) were associated with breast cancer screening attendance. In contrast, Christian women had a significantly lower breast cancer screening rate that women from other religions (adj. OR. = 0.45, 95%CI: 0.24 - 0.85).

The overall breast cancer screening attendance was poor among Indonesian women population. Age, household income, religion, and knowledge of breast cancer risk factors were identified as the determinant factors for breast cancer screening.