Comparison of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Nursing Staff Regarding Cervical Cancer Screening at Various Levels of Health Care Facilities in Western India

Abstract

Background: Cervical cancer is a public health problem, and nursing personnel are crucial for successful implementation of low-cost cervical cancer screening approaches in low-resource settings. The following study assessed and compared the knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding cervical cancer and its screening among female nursing staff at different levels of health care facilities in western Rajasthan, India. Methodology: An anonymous pre-validated, structured questionnaire was used as the study tool among 233 female nursing personnel of primary, secondary, and tertiary care health facilities. Multiple logistic regression was performed to determine the association between level of knowledge with level of health care and other demographic variables. Results: The nursing staff of the tertiary care health facility demonstrated significantly higher knowledge compared to those working at primary and secondary levels [adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) 11.01 (3.80–32.40)]. At tertiary care, the practices of the nursing professionals were not found significantly associated with any socio-demographic variable including age, marital status, or level of health care facility. Conclusion: The overall knowledge of cervical cancer was poor, especially among staff nurses at primary and secondary levels of health care. In order to implement a successful population-based screening program in India, it is important to update the nursing curriculum and start in-service trainings at primary and secondary levels of health care facilities.

Keywords

• cancer cervix
• nursing staff
• screening
• pap smear
• visual inspection with acetic acid