Abotchie Peter N, Shokar Navkiran K
Center for Health Promotion & Prevention Research, University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, 77030, USA.
Int J Gynecol Cancer. 2009 Apr;19(3):412-6. doi: 10.1111/IGC.0b013e3181a1d6de.
Cervical cancer is the most incident cancer and the leading cause of cancer mortality in women in Ghana. Currently, little is known about Ghanaian women's knowledge and beliefs about cervical cancer screening, yet this information is essential to the success of cervical cancer screening programs. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to describe the knowledge and beliefs of female university college students in Ghana.
A cross-sectional survey among college women in a university in Ghana elicited information about sociodemographics, knowledge and beliefs, and acceptability of cervical cancer screening, screening history, and sexual history. Bivariate analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with screening.
One hundred forty women were recruited; the age range was 20 to 35 years. The prior Papanicolaou (Pap) screening rate was 12.0%. The women were unaware of local screening initiatives, and only 7.9% were aware of the link between human papillomavirus and cervical cancer. The most prevalent barriers were lack of awareness that the purpose of Pap screening is to diagnose cancer, concerns about what others may think, and lack of information about how to obtain screening services. Although women perceived the benefits of screening, only about half perceived themselves to be at risk. Women received few screening cues. Three barriers were negatively associated with screening in bivariate analyses: lack of belief that cancer is diagnosed by cervical screening, belief that Pap test is painful, and belief that the test will take away virginity.
New screening programs in Ghana should address these barriers and increase screening cues to the public.
宫颈癌是加纳女性中发病率最高的癌症，也是导致癌症死亡的主要原因。目前，对于加纳女性关于宫颈癌筛查的知识和观念了解甚少，然而这些信息对于宫颈癌筛查项目的成功至关重要。因此，本研究的目的是描述加纳女大学生的知识和观念。
对加纳一所大学的女大学生进行横断面调查，收集有关社会人口统计学、知识和观念、宫颈癌筛查的可接受性、筛查史和性史的信息。进行双变量分析以确定与筛查相关的因素。
招募了140名女性；年龄范围为20至35岁。既往巴氏涂片筛查率为12.0%。这些女性不了解当地的筛查举措，只有7.9%的人知晓人乳头瘤病毒与宫颈癌之间的联系。最普遍的障碍是不了解巴氏涂片筛查的目的是诊断癌症、担心他人的看法以及缺乏如何获得筛查服务的信息。尽管女性认识到筛查的益处，但只有约一半的人认为自己有风险。女性收到的筛查提示很少。在双变量分析中，有三个障碍与筛查呈负相关：不相信宫颈癌筛查能诊断癌症、认为巴氏试验很痛苦以及认为该检查会导致失去童贞。
加纳的新筛查项目应解决这些障碍，并增加向公众提供的筛查提示。
