An assessment of knowledge attitude and practice of cervical cancer screening and vaccination among women in gwagwalada area council, abuja nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22376/ijtos.v3i3.77Keywords:
Cervical cancer, HPV vaccination, screening, knowledge, attitude, practice, Nigeria, GwagwaladaAbstract
Background: Cervical cancer remains a major public health concern in Nigeria, with low uptake of screening and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination contributing to its high morbidity and mortality. Understanding the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of women regarding cervical cancer prevention is essential for designing effective interventions. The objective of the study was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination among women in Gwagwalada Area Council, Abuja, Nigeria.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 244 women aged 18–49 years in Gwagwalada Area Council who were selected by using both cluster sampling techniques. Data were collected using a pretested semi-structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire assessing socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge of cervical cancer and HPV, attitudes toward screening and vaccination practices. Data were analyzed with SPSS Statistic version 21 using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests to determine associations between variables. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant
Results:The study revealed low knowledge of cervical cancer and HPV vaccine (54.5%). A good number of the respondent (78.7%) had good attitude towards screening and vaccination, 6.1% of these have been vaccinated. A few respondents (26) with negative attitude had also been vaccinated. This study revealed that only 15(6.1%) of the respondents had had HPV vaccination.
Conclusion: There is a significant gap between knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding cervical cancer prevention among women in Gwagwalada. Despite positive attitudes, actual uptake of screening and vaccination remains low. There is a critical need for targeted health education to improve screening and HPV vaccine uptake. There is also a need to subsidized services, and integration of cervical cancer prevention into primary health care services.
References
Health Education Campaigns: the federal and state ministries of health and other relevant stakeholders should implement sustained community-based education programs focused on the importance of early screening, and the availability and safety of the HPV vaccine.
Integration into Primary Health Care, cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination for women of reproductive age, should be routinely integrated into existing reproductive and maternal health services at primary health care centers.
Training of health care workers on counseling techniques and motivate women to utilize screening and vaccination services.
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