| Title |
Cervical Cancer and Pap Smear Awareness and Utilization of Pap Smear Test among Federal Civil Servants in North Central Nigeria
|
|---|---|
| Published in |
PLOS ONE, October 2012
|
| DOI | 10.1371/journal.pone.0046583 |
| Pubmed ID | |
| Authors |
Hyacinth I. Hyacinth, Oluwatoyosi A. Adekeye, Joy N. Ibeh, Tolulope Osoba |
| Abstract |
Cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in women in developing countries. A key factor linked to the relatively high levels of cervical cancer in these populations is the lack of awareness and access to preventive methods. This study aimed to determine the level of awareness of cervical cancer and Papanicolaou test (Pap smear test) and factors associated with the utilization of Pap test among female civil servants in Jos. Data was obtained from female workers (n = 388) aged 18-65 years in a Nigerian Federal establishment. Participants were randomly approached and instructed to complete validated questionnaires. Data was analyzed using Chi-square, t-tests and logistic regression analysis to determine if there was an association between variables and identify any predictors of awareness and utilization of the Pap test. Cervical cancer and Pap smear test awareness was 50.9% and 38.6% respectively, with the media as the major source of information. Pap smear test utilization rate was 10.2%, with routine antenatal care (ANC) as the major reason for getting screened. Personal barriers to screening include the lack of awareness, and belief that cervical cancer is not preventable. Opportunistic screening, mass media campaigns and ANC education were suggested as ways of improving awareness and utilization of cervical cancer screening services. |
X Demographics
The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 10 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 3 | 30% |
| Sri Lanka | 1 | 10% |
| Kenya | 1 | 10% |
| Nigeria | 1 | 10% |
| Unknown | 4 | 40% |
Demographic breakdown
| Type | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Members of the public | 6 | 60% |
| Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 2 | 20% |
| Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 1 | 10% |
| Scientists | 1 | 10% |
Mendeley readers
The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 277 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 1 | <1% |
| Nigeria | 1 | <1% |
| Unknown | 275 | 99% |
Demographic breakdown
| Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Student > Master | 65 | 23% |
| Student > Bachelor | 35 | 13% |
| Student > Postgraduate | 30 | 11% |
| Student > Ph. D. Student | 22 | 8% |
| Researcher | 14 | 5% |
| Other | 33 | 12% |
| Unknown | 78 | 28% |
| Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine and Dentistry | 104 | 38% |
| Nursing and Health Professions | 42 | 15% |
| Social Sciences | 12 | 4% |
| Immunology and Microbiology | 6 | 2% |
| Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 6 | 2% |
| Other | 21 | 8% |
| Unknown | 86 | 31% |