To study the knowledge, attitude, and practice about Pap smear among healthcare professionals.

Abstract

Background: Papanicolaou (Pap) smear has been found to be an effective, safe, economical, and time-sensitive tool for screening cervical cancer in various studies. We studied existing levels of awareness, attitude, and practices related to the Pap smear among healthcare workers.

Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional study undertaken in different departments of Pt B. D. Sharma PGIMS, Rohtak. The study's target group was all married female HCWs of varied experience levels posted in different departments. This study employed a meticulously crafted questionnaire in the English language. The survey included a total of 21 items covering different aspects related to the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the study topic. Subgroup analysis was conducted using the ANOVA and Pearson Chi-square test.

Results: A total of 424 participants were enrolled in the study. The majority of the participants were in the age group of 31-40 years (45%), followed by the age group of 20-30 years. On descriptive analysis, the mean knowledge score of the participants was 29.4575 (SD = 10.77661, minimum score = 0.00, maximum score = 55).

Conclusion: The study highlights a moderate level of knowledge but a significant gap between the attitudes and actual practices related to Pap smear and cervical cancer screening among healthcare professionals.