Utilization of cervical cancer screening and determinant factors among female nurses in selected public hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Background

Cervical cancer is one of the top cause of death among childbearing women globally and public health issue for underdeveloped nations.It is the world's second most prevalent cancer among women. In 2018, 311,000 women died due to cervical cancer.Approximately 80 % of these deaths occurred in developing countries.However, there has been insufficient research on cervical cancer screening utilisation among Ethiopian nurses, despite the fact that nurses promote women's health and play a key role in cervical cancer education. As a result, evaluating utilization of cervical cancer screening among nurses is critical for program effectiveness.

Objective

To assess the magnitude of utilization of cervical cancer screening and determinant factors among female Nurses in selected public hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Methodology

An institutional-based cross-sectional study design was employed from October 1 to November 30, 2022. Data was collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. The data was entered into Epi data version 3.1 and then exported to SPSS version 22 for data management and analysis. Bivariate and multi-variable logistic regressions were employed to identify the predictor variables. Statistical significance was considered at P < 0.05 with adjusted odds ratio calculated at 95 % CI.

Result

The magnitude of utilization of cervical cancer screening among nurses working in selected public hospitals in Addis Ababa was 18.5 % (95 % CI: 14.2, 23.1). Having work experience > 8 years (AOR = 16.78; 95 % CI: 4.82, 58.44), history of STI (AOR = 53.72; 95 % CI: 14.18, 203.45) and having multiple sexual partners (AOR = 12.74; 95 % CI: 4.15, 39.11) were significantly associated with utilization of cervical cancer screening among female nurses.

Conclusion

The overall cervical cancer screening rate among female nurses was low compared to the WHO strategy for cervical cancer elimination, which asks for 70 % of women worldwide to be checked for cervical illnesses regularly by 2030. According to the study findings, respondents' work experience, STI history, and having multiple sexual partners influenced their utilization of cervical cancer screening among nurses. To boost the utilization of screening services, female nurses should place a strong emphasis on maintaining screening awareness through education and knowledge sharing.Finally, we recommend future researchers to do comparative study design to draw any scientific and credible conclusions.