The Awareness and Uptake of Cervical Cancer Screening Among Female Nurses in Enugu, South-East, Nigeria
Abstract:
Introduction:
Cervical cancer
is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in women especially in developing countries.
Cervical cancer screening is a cost-effective method of detecting pre-malignant
and malignant lesions of the cervix. Nurses could serve as health educators on cervical
cancer screening hence the need to determine their knowledge and uptake of the screening.
The objective of the study was to determine the level of awareness and uptake of
cervical cancer screening among female nurses in Enugu.
Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study
of 182 eligible female nurses in different health facilities in Enugu was undertaken.
A structured self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Data
was analyzed using SPSS version 20.
Results: Majority of the respondents was aware
(98%) and had good knowledge (95.6%) of cervical cancer screening. Only a small
proportion (19.8%) of the nurses had cervical cancer screening. More so, a paltry
3.3% of the nurses had cervical cancer screening for the second time. Most (68.7%)
of the respondents were aware of the availability of cervical cancer screening facilities
in Enugu. Major reasons for non-screening were fear of complications (36.3%) and
high cost of screening (16.4%). The respondents suggested that uptake of the cervical
cancer screening could be achieved through workshops/seminars (51.1%), religious
activities (49.5%), mass media (31.9%) and conferences (28.0%).
Conclusion: Despite the high awareness of cervical
cancer screening among female nurses in Enugu, the uptake of cervical cancer screening
was low. There is need for policy formulation that is aimed at reversing this ugly
trend.
References:
[1].
Vaccarella S. (2017) Short Report Cervical cancer in
Africa , Latin America and the Caribbean and Asia : Regional inequalities and changing
trends.
[2].
Brinton L A. (1992) Epidemiology
of cervical cancer--overview. IARC Sci Publ, 119:3–23.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1428106.
[3].
Momenimovahed Z, Salehiniya H.
(2017) Incidence , mortality and risk factors of cervical cancer in the world, 4(12):1795–811.
[4].
GLOBOCAN. (2019) Cervix uteri.
Vol. 876.
[5].
Anorlu RI. (2008)Cervical cancer:
the sub-Saharan African perspective. Reprod Health Matters. 16(32):41–9.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1016/S0968-8080%2808%2932415-X.
[6].
Pisani, P., Parkin, D.M., Bray
FF, J.(1999) Estimates of the worldwide mortality from 25 cancers in 1990. Int J
Cancer (Pred Oncol), 83:870–3. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › pubmed.
[7].
Nwankwo KC, Aniebue UC, Agwuna
KK. (2010) Cervical cancer screening among certified nurses in Enugu: knowledge,
attitude and uptake of pap smear test. Journal of College of Medicine, 15: 15–24.
http://www.ajol.info/index.php/jcm/article/view/85286.
[8].
Awodele O, Adeyomoye AAA, Awodele
DF, Kwashi V, Awodele IO, Dolapo DC. (2011) A Study on Cervical Cancer Screening
Amongst Nurses in Lagos University Teaching Hospital , Lagos , Nigeria. J Cancer
Educ. 26(3)497–504. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › pmc › articles › PMC3161190.
[9].
McCarey C, Pirek D, Tebeu PM, Boulvain
M, Doh AS, Petignat P. (2011) Awareness of HPV and cervical cancer prevention among
Cameroonian healthcare workers. BMC Womens Health. 11(1):45.
http://bmcwomenshealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1472-6874-11-45.
[10]. Imam SZ, Rehman F, Zeeshan MM, Maqsood B, Asrar S,
Fatima N, et al. (2008) Perceptions and practices of a pakistani population regarding
cervical cancer screening. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 9(1):42–4. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18439071.
[11]. Lenoir P, Moulahi B, Azé J, Bringay S, Mercier G, Carbonnel
F. (2017) Raising Awareness About Cervical Cancer Using Twitter: Content Analysis
of the 2015 #SmearForSmear Campaign. J Med Internet Res. 19(10):e344.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29038096
[12]. Prochaska JJ, Coughlin SS, Lyons EJ. (2017) Social
Media and Mobile Technology for Cancer Prevention and Treatment. Am Soc Clin Oncol
Educ book Am Soc Clin Oncol Meet. 37:128–37. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28561647
[13]. Singh E, Seth S, Rani V, Srivastava DK.(2012) Awareness
of cervical cancer screening among nursing staff in a tertiary institution of rural
India. J Gynecol Oncol. 23(3):141–6.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22808355.
[14]. Eze JN, Umeora OU, Obuna JA, Egwuatu VE, Ejikeme BN.
(2012) Cervical cancer awareness and cervical screening uptake at the Mater Misericordiae
Hospital, Afikpo, Southeast Nigeria. Ann Afr Med. 11(4):238–43. Available from:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23103924
[15]. Nnamani MN, Ogbodo CN. (2012) Knowledge and utilization
of cancer prevention strategies by women of child-bearing age in Enugu State. Niger
Acad Forum. 23(1). www.globalacademicgroup.com
[16]. Ezem BU. (2007) Awareness and uptake of cervical cancer
screening in Owerri, South-Eastern Nigeria. Ann Afr Med. 6(3):94–8. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18240495.
[17]. Idowu A, Olowookere SA, Fagbemi AT, Ogunlaja OA. (2016)
Determinants of Cervical Cancer Screening Uptake among Women in Ilorin, North Central
Nigeria: A Community-Based Study. J Cancer Epidemiol. 1–8. Available from:
http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jce/2016/6469240/
[18]. Udigwe GO. (2006) Knowledge, attitude and practice
of cervical cancer screening (pap smear) among female nurses in Nnewi, South Eastern
Nigeria. Niger J Clin Pract. 9(1):40–3.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16986288
[19]. Dike Frank M, C R-BG. (2015) Attitude and practice
of cervical cancer screening among female health workers in university of Port-
Harcourt teaching hospital, Rivers State. J Res Nurs Midwifery. 4(4):2315–568.
http://www.interesjournals.org/JRNM.
[20]. Kolawale AO. (2008) cervical cancer and its control
in Nigeria: Challenges and the way forward. KIT (Royal Tropical Institute) Development,
Policy & Practice/Vrije University,Amsterdam.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/310477699_Cervical_Cancer_and_its_control_in_Nigeria_challenges_and_the_way_forward.
[21]. Wright KO, Faseru B, Kuyinu YA, Faduyile FA. (2011)
Awareness and uptake of the Pap smear among market women in Lagos, Nigeria. 2011;2(1).e14.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5345473/.
[22]. Adamu A, Abiola A, Ibrahim M. (2012) The effect of
health education on the knowledge, attitude, and uptake of free Pap smear among
female teachers in Birnin-Kebbi, North-Western Nigeria. Niger J Clin Pract 15(3):326.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22960970.
[23]. Tay K, Tay SK, Tesalona KC, Rashid NMR, Tai EYS, Najib
SJM. (2015) Factors affecting the uptake of cervical cancer screening among nurses
in Singapore. Int J Gynecol Obstet. 130(3):230–4.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020729215002805.
[24]. Ncube B, Bey A, Knight J, Bessler P, Jolly PE. (2015)
Factors associated with the uptake of cervical cancer screening among women in portland,
Jamaica. N Am J Med Sci. 7(3):104–13.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25839002
[25]. Shivanthan MC, Arunakiri K, Wickramasinghe SI, Sumanasekera
RDN, Jayasinghe S, Rajapakse S. (2014) Low uptake of Pap smear testing among medical
clinic attendees in a tertiary care hospital in Sri Lanka. Int Health. 6(2):138–43.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24737803.
[26]. Eze GU, Obiebi IP, Umuago IJ. (2018) Perspectives of
cervical cancer and screening practices among staff of a teaching hospital in South-South
Nigeria. J Cancer Res Pract. 5(2):67–73.
[27]. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2311300617301350.
