Prevalence and Predictors of Cervical Cancer Screening among Reproductive Age Group Women: Evidence from...

The present study aims to estimate the prevalence and determine the factors for cervical cancer screening among women in the reproductive age group in Delhi and Rohtak, India.

The data were utilized from a survey conducted as part of a larger study to increase the access to cervical cancer screening and care by MAMTA-Health Institute for Mother and Child in collaboration with the Health Departments of Palam, New Delhi, and Rohtak, Haryana between 2015 and 2017. Data pertaining to the socio-economic and demographic information along with the information related to cervical cancer screening were utilized for the present study. The sample size was 1020 women in reproductive age group. Descriptive statistics (percentage and frequency distribution), bivariate analysis along with multivariable analysis were done to represent the results.  The Fisher exact test was used to test the level of significance during bivariate analysis.

About 35.2% [Delhi: 44.9% and Rohtak: 23.8%] of the respondents had heard about cervical cancer screening. Further about 3.9% [Delhi-2.9% and Haryana-5.1%] had screened for cervical cancer. Women who had heard about cervical cancer were five times more likely to go for screening [aOR: 5.27; CI: 2.53,10.96]. It was found that women over 30 years of age had 12.04 significantly higher  odds of going for cervical cancer screening in reference to women aged 30 years and less [aOR: 12.04; CI: 3.01,53.20]. Women from households with a monthly income of more than 15000 had 2.98  significantly higher odds of going for cervical cancer screening in reference to women from households with an income of 5000 and less [aOR : 2.98; CI: 1.12,9.09].

Findings suggest that awareness about cervical cancer screening test along with its thorough knowledge about its benefits would be an effective intervention to increase the uptake of cervical cancer screening.