McGrath report reveals only 15 per cent of women understand breast health

September 27, 2016

McGrath report shows only 15% of women fully understand breast health
73% believed they understood the risk factors for breast cancer
But four in 10 did not realise growing older increases the risk
‘This is concerning,’ said the McGrath Foundation CEO Petra Buchanan
She said it meant women were armed with ‘incorrect information’
The foundation released a list of the six risk factors to raise awareness

Katherine Davison For Daily Mail Australia

Published:
02:32 EST, 27 September 2016

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Updated:
05:28 EST, 27 September 2016

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Only 15 per cent of Australian women fully understand breast health.

That was the damning verdict from the results of the first ever annual McGrath Breast Health Index, which aimed to measure the level of what the organisation has termed ‘breastpertise’ among women.

‘Breastpertise’ refers to four areas of understanding when it comes to breast health: Awareness, confidence in recognising changes in the breast, knowledge of risk factors, and behaviour in terms of how often women check their breasts.

Published on Tuesday, in a report called Getting A Grip, the results revealed that only 15 per cent of women in Australia met all four criteria.

‘Concerning’: Petra Buchanan, CEO of the McGrath Foundation, said the findings of the report were concerning but it provided clear direction for future education

Whilst 73 per cent of women believed themselves to be ‘somewhat or very breast aware’, three in 10 did not recognise that being a woman was a risk factor for breast cancer.

Four in 10 did not realise that growing older also increases your risk of the disease.

‘This is concerning because it means that potentially there is a substantial number of women who believe they are breast aware, are confident in their ability to recognise changes, are checking their breasts for changes frequently – but are armed with incorrect information about what actually causes breast cancer,’ said Petra Buchanan, CEO of the McGrath Foundation.

Women unaware: The report revealed that only 15 per cent of Australian women understand breast health

She said the results were both alarming and hopeful, because the research provides clear direction for future education.

‘Improving breast awareness among young people, particularly women, is a key part of the McGrath Foundation’s vision – we like to say ‘if you grow them, know them!’ she went on.

According to the report only one in 10 women successfully identified the risk factors for breast cancer.

Increased risk: Breast cancer predominantly affects women, with 15,934 women expected to be diagnosed in 2016 alone

WHAT ARE RISK FACTORS FOR BREAST CANCER?

According to the McGrath Foundation, the six risk factors for breast cancer are:

Being a woman

Growing older

Being a smoker

Drinking alcohol

Strong family history

Starting menstruation earlier or menopause later

The report also showed that whilewomen believe mothers are best-placed to raise the importance of awareness, only a quarter of women had a conversation with their own mother about it.

While the research was conducted among women only, the McGrath Foundation provides education aimed at young women and men in Australia.

Breast cancer predominantly affects women, with 15,934 women expected to be diagnosed in 2016 alone, approximately 150 men in Australia are also diagnosed each year.

For more information visit the organisation’s website here