Objective To investigate and analyze the status of breast cancer prevention knowledge and health belief among female college students

with a view to providing reference for scientific and reasonable health education in the future.Methods Using convenience sampling

263 female nursing students from a comprehensive university in Yanji were selected as respondents.A self-made questionnaire was used to conduct the survey

and the obtained data was analyzed statistically.Results The total awareness rate of breast cancer prevention knowledge among the respondents was 43.05%.The item with the highest awareness rate was"risk of breast cancer increases in women who have been exposed to radiation for a long time."The item with the lowest awareness rate was"breast self-examination method."Among them

the scores on breast cancer prevention knowledge of Han respondents were higher than those of the ethnic minorities（P<0.05）;the differences among scores on breast cancer prevention knowledge of respondents of different households’ monthly income were statistically significant（P<0.05）;the scores on breast cancer prevention knowledge of respondents who have a family history of breast cancer were lower than those without a family history of breast cancer（P<0.05）;respondents who had access to breast care knowledge had higher scores on breast cancer prevention knowledge than those without access to breast care knowledge（P<0.05）.In addition

the respondents′breast cancer prevention health belief scale score was（114.42 ± 13.66）points.The differences in the total scores on breast cancer prevention health belief of respondents in different grades were statistically significant（P<0.05）;the differences in scores on cognitive vulnerability and cognitive impairment among respondents in different grades were statistically significant（P<0.05）;in the cognitive dimension of severity

the differences in scores among different grades and respondents with and without a family history of breast disease were statistically significant（P<0.05）;in the dimension of self-efficacy

the differences in scores of respondents from different ethnic groups

with and without a family history of breast cancer

and with and without a history of breast disease were statistically significant（P<0.05）.Correlationanalysis results showed that the respondents′breast cancer prevention knowledge was positively correlated with scores on the health belief scale and its dimensions（P<0.05）.Conclusion Female college students in Yanji have good health belief about breast cancer prevention

but they lack knowledge of prevention.Health educators should carry out activities related to breast cancer prevention.Special attention should be paid to the publicity and education of breast self-examination in order to improve the awareness of breast cancer prevention knowledge among female college students

strengthen their positive health belief in breast cancer prevention

and promote behaviors that help prevent breast cancer.