Background: Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related mortality among women globally. Prognosis is excellent when breast cancer is detected and treated early; however, survival remains low in many low-income settings due to late diagnosis and inadequate treatment. Improving breast cancer awareness (BCA) at both community and health system levels is critical for promoting early presentation and detection. The MyCare study explores an innovative dissemination approach by assessing whether menstrual hygiene management (MHM) materials can serve as a scalable conduit for delivering breast health awareness (BHA) messages to women in Kenya.
Objectives: MyCare aims to build an evidence base for delivering breast health awareness through menstrual hygiene products (MHPs). Specific aims were to: (i) assess gaps in breast health awareness using a composite BHA tool; and (ii) evaluate the acceptability and preferences for BHA messaging delivered via MHPs, including content, format, placement, and mode of delivery.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 215 pre-menopausal women aged 18–49 years in Kiambu County, Kenya. We used an adaptation of the Cancer Research UK Breast Cancer Awareness (BCAM) Tool to assess baseline breast cancer awareness, menstrual hygiene practices, and preferences for MHP-based health messaging. Descriptive statistics summarized participant characteristics. A composite BHA score was constructed by assigning one point for each correct knowledge response. Multivariable linear regression models examined determinants of BHA, with prespecified covariates entered simultaneously.
Results: The mean participant age was 34.3 years; 55% had completed at least secondary education, and 78% owned a smartphone. Breast health awareness was moderate overall, with only 30% classified as having high BHA. While most women (69%) could identify at least breast cancer warning signs and strongly believed in the benefits of early diagnosis (96%), important knowledge gaps and misconceptions persisted, particularly regarding age-related risk and breast self-examination. Higher education was independently associated with greater BHA.
Acceptability of BHA messaging via MHPs was very high (mean score 9.1/10), with 95% rating the approach as highly acceptable and over 99% willing to receive monthly messages. Most women preferred a combination of images and text (>90%). The most preferred placement was on the outside of the MHP packet (47.9%), followed by individual pads inside the packet (23.7%). QR codes were least preferred. Notably, 88% reported they would choose a product that included breast health information.
Conclusions: Delivering breast health awareness through menstrual hygiene products is highly acceptable and aligns well with women’s preferences in Kenya. These findings will inform the design of a larger randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of MHP-based dissemination in improving breast cancer awareness and early detection.