CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM

Cancer is the killer disease that chooses no one. One of the most common cancers

is the breast cancer. Breast cancer is the leading cause death in women ages 15-54 years

old worldwide. It happens when cell in the breast begins to grow out of control and can

then invade nearby tissues or spread throughout the body.

More than a million develop the disease without knowing it, and almost 500,000

women die from it every year. According to the Extrapolated Statistics of cancer in Asia,

the Philippines have an estimated 64,998 incident rate on cancer and the undiagnosed

prevalence rate of breast cancer is 317,065. According to the WHO, approximately 70 %

of breast cancers occur in women with none of known risk factors. Only about 5% of

breast cancers are inherited. The Philippines has the highest incidence rate of breast

cancer in Asia and is today considered to have the 9th highest incidence rate in the world.

The number of global cancer deaths is projected to increase by 45 percent from

2007 to 2030 (from 7.9 million to 11.5 million deaths), influenced in part by an

increasing and aging global population. In the 1940’s the risk for breast cancer was in

1:22. Today it is in 1:18.

Due to the massive increase of numbers affected by breast cancer the researchers

are specifically interested to conduct research on the female nursing student’s awareness

regarding breast cancer.

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Statement of the Problem

The researchers would like to find the level of awareness among female nursing

students regarding breast cancer. Specifically, the study aims to answer the following

questions:

1. What are the profile characteristics of the respondents in terms of age, religion,

marital status, tribal affiliation and year level?

2. What is the level of awareness of the respondents regarding breast cancer?

3. What practices related to cancer prevention do the respondents observe?

4. Is there a significant relationship between level of awareness and cancer

prevention practice of the respondents toward breast cancer?

Theoretical Framework

The theory used in this research is from Madeliene Leininger’s Culture Care:

Diversity and Universality. In view of Leininger, the researchers recognized the

importance of the concept of “caring” in nursing. “Care” as being a central component of

nursing. Leininger identified a lack of cultural and care knowledge as the missing link to

nursing understands of the many variations required in patient care to support

compliance, healing, and wellness.

The practice of transcultural nursing addresses the cultural dynamics that

influence the nurse–client relationship. Because of its focus on this specific aspect of

nursing, a theory was needed to study and explain outcomes of this type of care.
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Leininger creatively developed the Theory of Culture Care: Diversity and Universality

with the goal to provide culturally congruent holistic care.

The researchers believed that to determine the needs of every client, we need to

know and understand first among our patients regarding what do they know about their

disease and how do they know the disease despite of lack of information, diversities of

culture and differences in their own practices on how do they give care to themselves. To

give prompt and effectiveness of care as future nurses, understanding on how the client

sees and feels about themselves, their awareness about the disease will help our client

improve their disease condition.

Conceptual Framework

The Conceptual framework includes the profile of the respondents such as age,

religion, marital status, tribal affiliation, and year level; the level of awareness of female

nursing students regarding breast cancer.

Profiles of the respondents believed to affect the level of awareness on breast

cancer and health practices and beliefs of female nursing students, thus the diagram

shows the relationship of level o awareness on breast cancer and the profile of the

respondents and another element is the health practices and beliefs connecting to the

profiles of the respondent.

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Profile
• Age
• Religion
• Marital Status
• Tribal Affiliation
• Year Level

Practices related
To cancer
Level of Awareness Prevention
Regarding
Breast Cancer

Figure 1. The Schematic Diagram of the Conceptual Framework

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Hypotheses

Ha1: There is a significant relationship between the level of awareness and cancer

prevention practice of the respondents.

Scope and Limitation

The study focused only on the level of awareness among female nursing students

of College of Health Sciences of Notre Dame University regarding breast cancer. This

study will be conducted among 220 female students of College of Health Sciences of

Notre Dame University. Among these female students, 55 respondents will represent

each year level.

Significance of the Study

The study is about the level of awareness among female nursing students of NDU

regarding breast cancer that will affect not only the individual but also the entire

community. The study is important for the following reasons:

First, the study is important for the entire students’ especially female students.

The result of this study determine their knowledge regarding breast cancer therefore,

proper information dissemination will be made to improve their practices to prevent the

said disease.
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Second, it will serve as guide and basis for health agencies and health

professionals in implementing the programs. It also provides information that will serve

as data for supervision and monitoring.

Third, the local officials or non-government officials may create some programs

such as health education and projects based on the result of this research.

Lastly, the researchers may use this data for further study.
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Definition of Terms

The following are the terms and its definition usually used by the researchers in
this study.
Breast ● A female organ responsible for production of prolactin and stimulation

of oxytocin.

Breast Self-Examination (BSE) ● refers to physical examination on breast done

to inspect lumps on breast by the person itself

Diagnostic ● refers to a test, procedure, or instrument used to identify the nature

or cause of an illness, disorder, or problem

Level of Awareness ● refers to the attitude or mark of the person’s attentiveness

or knowledge to a certain ideas.

Metastatasis ● refers to the spread of a cancer from the original tumor to other

parts of the body by means of tiny clumps of cells transported by the blood or lymph

Practices ● refers to a person’s activity in life

Prevention ● refers to action that stops something from happening

Risk Factor ● refers to something that contributes to illness: a feature of

somebody's habits, genetic makeup, or personal history that increases the probability of

disease or harm to health

Symptom ● refers to indication of illness felt by patient: an indication of a

disease or other disorder, especially one experienced by the patient

Treatment ● refers to a remedy, procedure, or technique for curing or alleviating

a disease, injury, or condition