Fatema Khatun, Ismail Hosen, Laila Sharmin Lipi, Pilot Hossen, Fardina Rahman Omi

Cervical Cancer Prevention Knowledge and Practices Among Reproductive-Age Women

Introduction

Cervical cancer prevention knowledge and practices among reproductive-age women. Study assesses cervical cancer prevention knowledge & practices among reproductive-age women in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Reveals high knowledge but poor practices, urging targeted interventions.

Abstract

While cervical cancer is both preventable and curable if detected early, knowledge and preventive practices among reproductive-age women in Bangladesh remain largely underexplored, particularly in urban settings. This study aims to address this gap through an assessment of cervical cancer prevention knowledge and practices among female patients at a tertiary hospital in Dhaka. A cross-sectional survey was conducted at Dhaka Medical College Hospital over a one-month period, with data collected from 205 women using a semi-structured questionnaire. SPSS version 23 was utilized for data analysis, including Pearson correlation, two-sample t-test, and one-way ANOVA. The results showed that 52.7 percent of participants had high knowledge of cervical cancer prevention, while 56.1 percent exhibited poor preventive practices. A significant correlation (r = 0.52, p < 0.001) was found between knowledge and practice. Additionally, factors like level of secondary education (F = 10.52, p < 0.001), employment status (F = 10.26, p < 0.001), and monthly income (r = 0.27, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with knowledge. The findings indicate that, despite high levels of knowledge, preventive practices remain poor, highlighting the need for enhanced awareness initiatives and behavior change interventions aimed at improving cervical cancer prevention. This disconnect between awareness and practice underscores the importance of designing culturally sensitive and accessible behavior change interventions, particularly targeting populations with lower educational attainment and those who are unemployed, to translate knowledge into sustained preventive practices.

Review

This study makes a valuable contribution by investigating cervical cancer prevention knowledge and practices among reproductive-age women in urban Bangladesh, an area previously underexplored. The research highlights a critical public health challenge: despite over half of the participants demonstrating high knowledge regarding cervical cancer prevention, a majority exhibited poor preventive practices. The significant correlation found between knowledge and practice, alongside associations with educational attainment, employment status, and monthly income, provides important insights into the multifaceted determinants influencing health behaviors. The study's focus on a tertiary hospital in Dhaka offers an initial snapshot of this demographic, underscoring the urgency for targeted interventions. However, the methodology presents several limitations that temper the generalizability and depth of the findings. The reliance on a cross-sectional survey at a single tertiary hospital with a sample of 205 female patients, likely a convenience sample, restricts the applicability of these results to the broader reproductive-age female population in urban Dhaka or Bangladesh. Details regarding the specific content and validation of the semi-structured questionnaire, particularly how "high knowledge" and "poor practice" were operationally defined and measured, are absent. Without such specifics, it is challenging to critically assess the reported percentages and the nature of the observed disconnect. Furthermore, a cross-sectional design can only establish correlation, not causation, leaving the underlying reasons for the knowledge-practice gap open to further speculation rather than definitive explanation from the study's own data. Despite these limitations, the study effectively identifies a crucial gap between cervical cancer prevention awareness and actual behavioral change, providing a foundational understanding for future public health efforts. The findings strongly support the authors' call for enhanced awareness initiatives and, more critically, for behavior change interventions that are culturally sensitive and accessible, especially for women with lower educational attainment and those who are unemployed. Future research should aim to conduct broader, multi-center studies with more representative samples, potentially employing mixed-methods approaches to explore the complex barriers translating knowledge into practice. Longitudinal studies would also be beneficial to understand the causality and effectiveness of interventions over time, ultimately guiding the development of robust, evidence-based strategies to improve cervical cancer prevention outcomes in Bangladesh.

Full Text

Comments

You need to be logged in to post a comment.