Breast Cancer Social Media Advocacy and Health Behaviour of Gregory University Female Undergraduates: Interrogating the Influence

Abstract

Previous research efforts have focused on mass media and how the public, as receivers, understand the issue of breast cancer. However, just a few studies have focused on the influence of breast cancer campaigns on the knowledge, attitude and practice among young women, and it appears none has focused on the influence of breast cancer social media campaigns on their health behaviour. This current study determines the extent to which the knowledge level and health behaviour of female undergraduate students have increased as a result of using social media to exchange health-related information about breast cancer detection, risk factors, prevention, treatment, screening methods and practice. Anchored on the theoretical framework of the Health Belief Model, the study adopted a descriptive research design, using the survey research method. The population of the study is the entire 815 undergraduate female students of Gregory University Uturu, Abia State, based on the statistics obtained from the Admissions Unit, 2021/2022 Academic Session. Taro Yamane’s statistical formula was used to take a manageable sample size of 268. The questionnaire was used as the only measuring instrument in this study. Evidence from research data shows that the attitude of female undergraduates’ towards the risk factors, prevention, treatment, screening methods and practices is highly dependent on their level of knowledge of social media breast cancer campaigns. Based on research data, the researchers reasoned that social media can be used to raise breast cancer awareness to promote breast cancer screening programmes, including clinical or self-examination, benefits of early detection, testing, treatment and preventive practices, as well as modifiable risk factors. Accordingly, it was suggested among others, that since findings reveal that attitude towards the risk factors, prevention, treatment, screening methods and practices is highly dependent on their level of knowledge

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