Communicating Breast Cancer in Rural Igbo Community of Southeast Nigeria

CHINWE CATHERINE OKPOKO
University of Nigeria, (Nsukka), Nigeria

This study examined the communication avenues for combating breast cancer in Orba, a rural community of Enugu State, Nigeria. To accomplish this goal, 200 women from the community were sampled. The results revealed that 87% of the respondents were aware of media messages on breast cancer; however, 74.5% and 65% respectively, claimed that they had no knowledge of its early indication and prevention. A major highlight of the study is that radio (69.5%) and religious association meetings (60%) are the preferred channels of communication for breast cancer campaigns. The findings, therefore, suggest that the campaigns against breast should be projected through both channels of African traditional communication and mass media. in the campaign cancer.

Keywords: Breast cancer, campaign, communication, mass media, traditional communication

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Chinwe Catherine Okpoko is a senior Lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria. She holds a Ph.D in mass communication of the same university, specializing in health communication. Her other favorite area of research is development communication.