Publication:

Health seeking behavior among women diagnosed with breast cancer attending Kisii teaching and referral hospital in Kisii County

Background Most women with breast cancer are diagnosed at an advanced stage of the disease leading to poor treatment outcomes. Therefore, this study aimed at determining the socio-economic and cultural factors that influence health seeking behavior among women diagnosed with breast cancer in Kisii County.

Methods 96 breast cancer women who were attending the Kisii Teaching and Referral hospital in Kisii County were purposively sampled. A descriptive study design was used. Structured and open-ended questionnaires were the data collection tools. Collected data was analyzed using Chi square and correlation analysis through SPSS.

Results 84.4% of the respondents were rural dwellers, 56.3% of the respondents were Protestants while 69.79% of the respondents were married. Majority (53%) of the respondents had attained a secondary level of education, 54.2% were self-employed while 80.2% of the respondents had a monthly income of KShs 10,000. There was no association between breast cancer treatment and an individual’s level of income (χ2=2.773, p=0.597). 2.1% of the respondents agreed that breast cancer is a curse. Witchcraft was not associated with health seeking behaviour (χ2=9.907, p=0.624). 67.7% of the respondents agreed that breast cancer is a killer disease that metastases fast within the body.

Conclusions The respondent’s education, employment status and level of income are the socio-economic factors that determine health seeking behaviour among women diagnosed with breast cancer in Kisii County. Majority of the victims use traditional medicine as a treatment option for breast cancer because it is cheaper than modern cancer therapy.