Effect of planned teaching on the knowledge, attitudes and practices of women pertaining to cervical cancer, screening and its secondary prevention

Mrs Varsha kadam; Dr Prakash Doke; Dr Mary Mathews

Volume : VIII, Issue : II, February - 2018

Effect of planned teaching on the knowledge, attitudes and practices of women pertaining to cervical cancer, screening and its secondary prevention

Mrs Varsha Kadam, Dr Prakash Doke, Dr Mary Mathews

Abstract :

Introduction: Cervical cancer remains an important health problem worldwide and more in developing nations. It is the fifth most common cause among deaths due to cancer in the world and the second largest cause of cancer mortality in India. Cervical epithelial cell abnormities in the Papanicolaou smear represent a spectrum of cellular abnormities that lie along the pathway, from in–situ lesions to invasive cancer. Currently India accounts for 1/4^thof the global cervical cancer burden. Though the incidence of cervical cancer has declined in developed countries, in developing countries like India where women do not undergo routine cervical cancer screening it is still a major health problem among women population.

Aims and Objectives: This study was designed to assess the status of womens’ knowledge, attitudes and common practices pertaining to cervical cancer and its preventive aspects, symptoms, and the importance of Pap (Papanicolaou) smear test for screening. The participants were 937 women aged 25 to 62 years. The data was collected using a validated knowledge, attitudes and practices questionnaire.

Findings: This study has shown that women lack knowledge of cervical cancer and its preventive aspect. Almost all of the study population, 98.5% had poor knowledge regarding cervical cancer screening. There was no apparent difference in the mean and standard deviation of knowledge scores in the different categories of cervical cancer, symptoms and Papanicolaou smear test. Effective female education and mass screening are necessary for successful implementation of cervical cancer screening program in India especially within the rural sector inhabitants.