Awareness and uptake of cervical cancer screening services among female nurses in a low-resource setting: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Despite the high burden of cervical cancer in Nigeria, the uptake of screening services has remained poor even among healthcare workers. This study aimed to determine the awareness, uptake and factors influencing the uptake of cervical cancer screening among female nurses in Federal Medical Centre Asaba. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between 1st October and 31st October 2023 amongst 247 consenting female nurses at FMC Asaba using semi-structured, self-administered questionnaires with 205 correctly filled forms retrieved from the study participants. Data were analysed using SPSS 26 with a p value <0.05 considered significant. Results: About 96.6% of female nurses were aware of screening for cervical cancer. However, only 28.9% of these nurses have been screened at least once for cervical cancer despite being aware of the availability of such screening modality at their workplace. Poor knowledge, fear of complications, cost of screening and lack of spare time, were some of the identified factors limiting the uptake of cervical cancer screening. There was also a significant association between the level of education and uptake of cervical cancer screening. Conclusions: This study revealed a low uptake rate of cervical cancer screening among Nurses who should help in the dissemination of the cervical cancer message. These findings are an eye opener for Government at all levels, policy makers, hospital managements and professional bodies.