Knowledge of cervical cancer screening, barriers to awareness, and the role of technological interventions in...

Cervical cancer remains a major public health concern despite being largely preventable through early detection, regular screening, timely diagnosis, and effective treatment of precancerous lesions. Globally, cervical cancer continues to be one of the leading causes of cancer-related morbidity and mortality among women, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where access to preventive services remains limited. Although screening guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the South African Department of Health (DOH) are widely available, inadequate knowledge and poor dissemination of information to women continue to hinder participation in screening programmes. In South Africa, studies have highlighted inconsistencies and ineffective health education related to cervical cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment, resulting in low screening uptake and delayed healthcare-seeking behaviour. The lack of structured cervical cancer education within public healthcare settings contributes to delayed diagnosis, increased mortality, higher healthcare costs, and psychological distress among affected women. In response, technological interventions such as reminder systems, callback mechanisms, mass media campaigns, mobile health (mHealth) programmes, and digital health strategies have been recommended to improve awareness, knowledge, and screening uptake among women.

The development of this protocol follows the methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley for conducting scoping reviews, with enhancements recommended by Levac et al. and the Joanna Briggs Institute. The review selection process will be reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) to ensure methodological transparency and reproducibility. Rayyan will be used to facilitate the screening process and identify duplicate records during study selection. The population of interest will include women eligible for cervical cancer screening irrespective of age, with particular attention to adolescents, older women, rural residents, underserved populations, and healthcare providers where relevant. The review will focus on knowledge and awareness of cervical cancer, barriers to screening participation, and technological interventions including mHealth, SMS-based systems, telemedicine, and digital health platforms aimed at improving screening uptake and health education. Searches will be conducted on the Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus to identify relevant literature. A two-stage screening process involving title/abstract screening followed by full-text review will be used to determine study eligibility, and data will be extracted using a standardized data-charting form.

https://osf.io/4ms7w.