Cervical Cancer Screening Acceptance among Women in Dabat District, Northwest Ethiopia, 2017: An Institution-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Cervical cancer is a global health problem. It is the second most common cancer in women worldwide, and it is the most frequent form and the leading cause of cancer mortality among Ethiopian women. Cervical cancer screening can reduce at least 50% of cervical cancer deaths. In Ethiopia, practice of cervical cancer screening is below 1%. Hence, this study aimed at assessing cervical cancer screening acceptance and determinant factors among women in Dabat district of Northwest Ethiopia.

Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study design was conducted in Dabat district in Northwest Ethiopia, 2016. The multistage sampling method was used to recruit 790 women from the selected rural and urban kebeles. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression analysis method was employed to determine factors significantly associated with the acceptance of cervical cancer screening with a 95% CI at p value <0.05.

Results: The overall awareness of cervical cancer screening was 12.1% (95% CI: 9.6, 14.5), and 17.1% (95% CI 14.4, 19.8) of them accepted the screening. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, having knowledge about cervical cancer (AOR = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.7, 3.8), parity women who had more children (AOR = 3.1, 95% CI: 1.7, 5.5) and those who perceived the severity of the disease (AOR = 1.9, 95% CI (1.3-3.1)) were statistically significant factors for acceptance of cervical cancer screening.

Conclusions: Most of the women had poor awareness and acceptance of cervical cancer screening. The findings also revealed that women of multiparous, knowledge about cervical cancer, and perceived the disease as severe were shown to be significant factors of acceptance for cervical cancer screening. Hence, continuous health education and appropriate counseling to women should be performed.