Factors Associated with Increased Knowledge about Breast Density in South Australian Women Undergoing Breast Cancer Screening.

Simple Summary: Breast density is an independent risk factor for breast cancer and can impede detection of cancer by mammography. There is growing awareness of breast density in Australia and globally, but it is unclear whether this awareness is increasing knowledge of what breast density is and what it means to have dense breasts. This study was conducted to investigate South Australian women's knowledge of the common facts and misconceptions about breast density. This study reports that women who had previously heard the term breast density had increased knowledge compared to those who had not, suggesting that current efforts to raise awareness are leading to better knowledge. Despite this, the study shows that there are widespread misconceptions that must be actively dispelled, including the misunderstanding that breast density can be determined by touch. Background: There is growing awareness of breast density in women attending breast cancer screening; however, it is unclear whether this awareness is associated with increased knowledge. This study aims to evaluate breast density knowledge among Australian women attending breast cancer screening. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted on women undergoing breast cancer screening at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Breast/Endocrine outpatient department. Participants were provided with a questionnaire to assess knowledge, awareness, and desire to know their own breast density. Result: Of the 350 women who participated, 61% were familiar with 'breast density' and 57% had 'some knowledge'. Prior breast density notification (OR = 4.99, 95% CI = 2.76, 9.03; p = 0.004), awareness (OR = 4.05, 95% CI = 2.57, 6.39; p = 0.004), younger age (OR = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.96, 0.99; p = 0.02), and English as the language spoken at home (OR = 3.29, 95% CI = 1.23, 8.77; p = 0.02) were independent predictors of 'some knowledge' of breast density. A significant proportion of participants (82%) expressed desire to ascertain their individual breast density. Conclusions: While knowledge of breast density in this Australian cohort is generally quite low, we have identified factors associated with increased knowledge. Further research is required to determine optimal interventions to increase breast density knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]