Knowledge and Screening Practices for Cervical Cancer Among Urban Poor Communities in Ibadan, Nigeria

Prevalence of cervical cancer remains high in sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria. Literature has documented knowledge of cervical cancer as important in promoting the adoption of preventive strategies, including screening, but most research has focused on women and health organization settings. This study assessed knowledge and screening practices of cervical cancer among male and female adults in urban poor communities in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional study was carried out in two urban poor community settings in Ibadan. Data were collected from 250 randomly selected consenting respondents in each of the two communities (N = 500). Data were collected with an electronic device using the electronic data capture tool (Open Data Kit) database. Descriptive statistics were summarized using frequencies and percentages for categorical variables, and mean and standard deviation were used for continuous variables. Knowledge was scored on a scale of 0 to 39 points (0 to 18, low knowledge; 19 to 23, fair knowledge; 24 to 39, high knowledge). Associations between variables were tested using χ2. Mean age of respondents was 35.36 years (± 12.24). The majority of respondents were female (70.6%), and more than half (52.6%) had completed secondary school education. The majority had never heard of the Papanicolaou test (93.6%) or cervical cancer screening (91.2%), and only 10% had ever heard of the human papillomavirus vaccine for the prevention of cervical cancer. The majority had low knowledge of cervical cancer (77.2%); knowledge included detection, symptoms, and risk factors for cervical cancer. Only 7.4% of females had ever heard of the Papanicolaou test, and few women (4%) had ever been screened for cervical cancer using the Papanicolaou test. Only one woman (0.2%) had been screened for cervical cancer using visual inspection with acetic acid, and four (0.8%) had ever taken human papillomavirus vaccine for protection against cervical cancer. There was a significant association between knowledge of cervical cancer and employment status of respondents (χ2 = 11.19; P < .05). Health promotion interventions and strategies for awareness creation about cervical cancer and screening practices should be used in alleviating low knowledge and screening practices in urban poor communities.