Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors about cervical cancer among women working in primary health care services in Van

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the knowledge and behaviors of cervical cancer among women working in primary health care services in Van.Methods: Among the 194 women working in primary care settings, 164 (85.4%) completed a self-administered questionnaire containing questions on demographic knowledge, cervical cancer knowledge (eight questions), attitudes related to cervical cancer (two questions), and cervical cancer-related behaviors (two questions).Results: The mean age of the participants was 30.20±5.17 years. Of the women, 53.7% (n=88) were university graduates and 54.0% (n=88) were single. The median knowledge score of the participants was 6 (1stquartile 4; 3rdquartile 6). Of the participants, 17.8% (n=29) had regular gynecological examination, and only 19.2% (n=23) had a Pap smear test. The knowledge score of those with university degrees was higher than those with high school or lower education (Z=3.21; p=0.001), married women had higher knowledge scores compared to the single ones (Z=2.89; p=0.004), and those who had a Pap smear test had higher knowledge scores than those who did not (Z=2.85; p=0.004). Conclusions: Although the knowledge level of primary care health care providers about cervical cancer and Pap smear was high, their practices were not in accordance with the knowledge. On the other hand, considering that the participants were health workers, better results could be expected. Primary care health professionals have a duty to transfer and implement preventive health services to society. Thus, it is regarded as useful to increase in-service training and improve the knowledge and behavior of women working in primary health care services on cervical cancer.

Keywords

• serviks kanseri
• sağlık çalışanları
• pap smear
• aile hekimliği
• uterine cervical neoplasms
• healthcare workers
• papanicolaou test
• primary care