Cervical Cancer Knowledge, Awareness and Related Health Behaviours amongst Women of Reproductive Age in Kiambu County, Kenya: A Cross-Sectional Study

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dc.contributor.authorGitonga, Eliphas
dc.contributor.authorIseme, Rosebella
dc.contributor.authorMutisya, Redempta
dc.contributor.authorKodhiambo, Maurice
dc.date.accessioned2022-11-09T08:03:11Z
dc.date.available2022-11-09T08:03:11Z
dc.date.issued2022-10
dc.descriptionResearch in HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY AND BEHAVIORAL MEDICINE 2022, VOL. 10, NO. 1, 1056–1070 https://doi.org/10.1080/21642850.2022.2136184en_US
dc.description.abstractBackground: Data on cervical cancer knowledge, perceptions, screening practices and other relevant health behaviours among women in rural Kenya is limited. Yet understanding this information is a key first step in developing evidence-based interventions aimed at addressing the low uptake of screening services and heavy cervical cancer disease burden within Kenya. Consequently, our study sought to assess cervical cancer knowledge, attitude, and practice amongst women of reproductive age within Kiambu County, known for a high cervical cancer disease burden. Methods: This was an analytical cross-sectional study undertaken in April 2022. Data was collected using interviewer-administered questionnaires from 472 females randomly selected from within the community. Data analysis included descriptive statistics (mean values, standard deviations, and frequencies) and logistic regression, using STATA version 13. Results: More than 80% of respondents were aware of cervical cancer though only 54% answered at least half of the knowledge questions correctly. Knowledge of HPV was particularly low, likely because 55% of the study sample stated they had never heard of HPV. Though 89% of study participants deemed cervical cancer preventable, more than 60% had an unfavourable attitude towards cervical cancer screening, deeming the process expensive, painful, and embarrassing. In line with the latter observation, only 20% of our sample had ever been screened for cervical cancer and less than half of this group had undergone regular screening. Notably, knowing a place where cervical cancer screening services are provided had the largest increase in odds of being screened (3.94; 95% CI: 1.08–14.37). Fear of tests and outcomes was also noted to be a prime concern amongst our study participants. Conclusion: A clear message from this study is the need to ensure community members are aware of where to access screeningen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipThe authors would like to acknowledge and thank Kenyatta University for funding this study through the Vice Chancellor’s Research Grant.en_US
dc.identifier.citationEliphas Gitonga, Rosebella Iseme, Redempta Mutisya & Maurice Kodhiambo (2022) Cervical cancer knowledge, awareness and related health behaviours amongst women of reproductive age in Kiambu County, Kenya: a cross-sectional study, Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, 10:1, 1056-1070, DOI: 10.1080/21642850.2022.2136184en_US
dc.identifier.otherhttps://doi.org/10.1080/21642850.2022.2136184
dc.identifier.urihttp://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/24380
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.subjectCervical cancer screeningen_US
dc.subjectHPVen_US
dc.subjectknowledgeen_US
dc.subjectattitudesen_US
dc.subjectbarriersen_US
dc.titleCervical Cancer Knowledge, Awareness and Related Health Behaviours amongst Women of Reproductive Age in Kiambu County, Kenya: A Cross-Sectional Studyen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US
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