Breast Cancer Awareness among Female University Students in Punjab, Pakistan: The Role of Digital Health Literacy and Artificial Intelligence
Abstract
Background
Breast cancer is the foremost cancer in women across the globe and a significant health challenge in Pakistan as women are poorly diagnosed at an advanced stage leading to poor health outcomes due to their ignorance. In the context of health information as young adults become more dependent on the digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI), digital health literacy and AI literacy have become significant predictors of health awareness and knowledgeable choices. This paper evaluated breast cancer awareness, digital health literacy and AI literacy among undergraduate female students of a university in Punjab, Pakistan.
Methods
The cross-sectional survey was carried out on 315 undergraduate female students enrolled in the public and the private universities in Punjab of Pakistan. Convenience sampling was done to recruit participants. A structured self-administered questionnaire of demographic details, awareness of breast cancer, ability to compete digitally, and ability to use AI was used to collect data. The analyses were conducted using the IBM SPSS Statistics Version 29, including the descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation and multiple linear regressions. The statistical significance was provided at p < 0.05.
Results
A majority of the participants were aware of breast cancer (95.9%), and understood the significance of early detection (93.3%). Nonetheless, there was limited knowledge on mammography guidelines and self-breast self-examination regularly. In general, 46.3 percent of participants were found to have moderate awareness on breast cancer, with 31.1 percent being aware. Over 50 percent of the students were moderately digitally healthy literate (53.7) and AI literate (52.1). Digital health literacy (r = 0.621, p < 0.001) and AI literacy (r = 0.557, p < 0.001) had a positive correlation with breast cancer awareness. Multiple regression analysis identified digital health literacy (β = 0.381, p < 0.001), AI literacy (β = 0.294, p < 0.001), previous awareness training (β = 0.175, p < 0.001), enrollment in health sciences (β = 0.186, p = 0.003), and family history of breast cancer (β = 0.121, p = 0.023) as significant predictors of breast cancer awareness.
Conclusion
Moderate level of breast cancer awareness was observed among undergraduate women in Punjab University students regardless of their satisfactory level of digital literacy and developing level of AI literacy. The strong correlations among digital health literacy, AI literacy, and breast cancer awareness demonstrate the significance of incorporating the notion of digital proficiency and AI learning in university healthy living programs. These interventions can enhance breast cancer awareness, promote preventive health behaviors as well as aid early detection among young women.
Keywords: Breast cancer awareness; Artificial intelligence literacy; Digital health literacy; University students; Female students; Health education; Early detection; Pakistan.
