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Breast Cancer Genetics Knowledge and Testing Intentions among Nigerian Professional Women

  • Original Research
  • Published:
Journal of Genetic Counseling

Abstract

Genetic testing services for breast cancer are well established in developed countries compared to African populations that bear a disproportionate burden of breast cancer (BC). The objective of this study is to examine the knowledge of professional Nigerian women about BC genetics and their intentions to utilize genetic testing services when it is made available in Nigeria. In this study, 165 lecturers and 189 bankers were recruited and studied using a validated self-administered questionnaire. The respondents’ mean age was 34.9 years (SD = 10.9), 6.5% had family history of BC, and 84.7% had limited knowledge of breast cancer genetics. The proportion of women with genetic testing intentions for breast cancer was 87.3%. Health care access (OR = 2.35, 95% CI, 1.07–5.13), religion (OR = 3.51, 95% CI, 1.03–11.92), and perceived personal risk if a close relative had breast cancer (OR = 2.31, 95% CI, 1.05–5.08) independently predicted testing intentions. The genetic testing intentions for BC were high despite limited knowledge about breast cancer genetics. Promotion of BC genetics education as well as efforts to make BC genetic testing services available in Nigeria at reduced cost remains essential.

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Funding

This study was not funded by any external body aside the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria

    Samuel O. Ngene & Babatunde Adedokun

  2. Department of Nursing, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria

    Prisca Adejumo

  3. Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Olufunmilayo Olopade

Authors
  1. Samuel O. Ngene
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  2. Babatunde Adedokun
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  3. Prisca Adejumo
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  4. Olufunmilayo Olopade
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Correspondence to Samuel O. Ngene.

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Conflict of Interest

Samuel O. Ngene, Babatunde Adedokun, Prisca Adejumo, and Olufunmilayo Olopade declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Human Studies and Informed Consent

All the respondents in the study gave written and signed informed consent. All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000 (5). Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study. No animal studies were carried out by the authors for this article.

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No animal studies were carried out by the authors for this article.

Ethical Approval

Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Oyo State Research Ethics Review Committee, Ministry of Health, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.

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Ngene, S.O., Adedokun, B., Adejumo, P. et al. Breast Cancer Genetics Knowledge and Testing Intentions among Nigerian Professional Women. J Genet Counsel 27, 863–873 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10897-017-0194-4

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