Factors influencing cervical cancer screening uptake among women attending Rubaga Hospital in Kampala city

Abstract

The study aimed at assessing factors influencing cervical cancer screening uptake among women attending Rubaga Hospital in Kampala District. The specific objectives were; to determine the level of cervical cancer awareness among women in the community; lo determine the uptake of cervical cancer screening among women attending Rubaga hospital; to determine the socio-demographic factors associated with uptake of cervical cancer screening and lastly to identify women's perceived barriers of doing cervical cancer screening.

The highest percentage of the respondents (40.0%) belonged to the 26-34 years" age group, 28.0% were less than 25 years of age. The largest proportion of the respondents (48.0%) was single or never married and 32.0 percent were secondary school leavers. The majority of the respondents (56.0%) were fully employed and 36 percent of these women earned less than 100. 000 shillings per months. Further, of the women interviewed, 70.3% reported that cervical cancer is preventable. The study further revealed that there is a significant relationship between marital status (x^2= 11.5467. p=0.009), education level (x^2=12.1156, p =0.017), income level (x^2= =9.8507. p=0.037), knowledge about cervical cancer (x^2= 15.0061, 0.004), and the frequency of cervical cancer screening (x2= 19.6744, p=0.001) and women cervical cancer screen uptake since their corresponding probability values are less than the criterion value of 0.05. On the other hand, age (x^2= = 0.7378, 0.887) has an insignificant relationship with cervical cancer screening. Also the study revealed that of the challenges encountered, 41.0% was due to lack of knowledge about cervical cancer, 17.73 percent reported that cervical cancer screening services were not offered at the nearest health facility in the area.

Screening uptake was very low despite the high levels of awareness of cervical cancer and cervical cancer screening. This therefore indicates that there is a disconnect between the respondents' awareness and their health seeking behavior with regards to cervical cancer and screening. Therefore, there is need to increase access to cervical cancer screening in rural areas so as to increase utilization of the service. In addition, cervical cancer screening can be increased by utilizing health workers to discuss the disease with women when they go to seek health care.