Knowledge on Cervical Cancer Services and Associated Risk Factors by Health Workers in the Eastern Cape Province
Globally, cancer is a leading cause of death, with cervical cancer ranking second among all cancers. Its adversity impacts not only individuals but also families, societies, and governments. The quality of services, as informed by the knowledge and adequacy of the health workers, plays an important...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Healthcare |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/3/325 |
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| author | Ziphelele Ncane Monwabisi Faleni Guillermo Pulido-Estrada Teke R. Apalata Sikhumbuzo A. Mabunda Wezile Chitha Sibusiso Cyprian Nomatshila |
| author_facet | Ziphelele Ncane Monwabisi Faleni Guillermo Pulido-Estrada Teke R. Apalata Sikhumbuzo A. Mabunda Wezile Chitha Sibusiso Cyprian Nomatshila |
| author_sort | Ziphelele Ncane |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Globally, cancer is a leading cause of death, with cervical cancer ranking second among all cancers. Its adversity impacts not only individuals but also families, societies, and governments. The quality of services, as informed by the knowledge and adequacy of the health workers, plays an important role in both prevention, diagnosis, and management of the disease. A cross-sectional study among 108 purposively selected health workers in rural health facilities in the Eastern Cape province was conducted to assess knowledge on cervical cancer and associated risk factors through the use of validated structured questionnaires. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences was used for analysis, with a 95% confidence interval and a <i>p</i>-value of 0.05 considered significant. A total of 91.7% of the 108 participants were female, and 25% were over the age of 50. A total of 88% and 85.2% indicated sexually transmitted disease and human immunodeficiency virus as major risk factors, respectively. The HPV, pap smear, and vaccination age were known by 64.8%, and vaccine availability was known by 71.3%. Only 40.7% of workers were trained on cervical screening, and 35.2% were trained on the interpretation of pap smear results. An overall knowledge score of 53% was obtained, with more experienced clinicians scoring lower grades. This study identified inadequacies in essential knowledge for successful implementation of cervical cancer services and found that extensive training was needed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:44:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fbbd0c37770947f18b6d3b2669de81c2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9032 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:44:33Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Healthcare |
| spelling | doaj.art-fbbd0c37770947f18b6d3b2669de81c22023-11-16T16:43:43ZengMDPI AGHealthcare2227-90322023-01-0111332510.3390/healthcare11030325Knowledge on Cervical Cancer Services and Associated Risk Factors by Health Workers in the Eastern Cape ProvinceZiphelele Ncane0Monwabisi Faleni1Guillermo Pulido-Estrada2Teke R. Apalata3Sikhumbuzo A. Mabunda4Wezile Chitha5Sibusiso Cyprian Nomatshila6Department of Public Health, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha 5117, South AfricaDepartment of Public Health, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha 5117, South AfricaDepartment of Public Health, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha 5117, South AfricaDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha 5117, South AfricaGeorge Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2033, AustraliaHealth System Enablement and Innovation Unit, University of the Witwatersrand, Centurion 0157, South AfricaDepartment of Public Health, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha 5117, South AfricaGlobally, cancer is a leading cause of death, with cervical cancer ranking second among all cancers. Its adversity impacts not only individuals but also families, societies, and governments. The quality of services, as informed by the knowledge and adequacy of the health workers, plays an important role in both prevention, diagnosis, and management of the disease. A cross-sectional study among 108 purposively selected health workers in rural health facilities in the Eastern Cape province was conducted to assess knowledge on cervical cancer and associated risk factors through the use of validated structured questionnaires. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences was used for analysis, with a 95% confidence interval and a <i>p</i>-value of 0.05 considered significant. A total of 91.7% of the 108 participants were female, and 25% were over the age of 50. A total of 88% and 85.2% indicated sexually transmitted disease and human immunodeficiency virus as major risk factors, respectively. The HPV, pap smear, and vaccination age were known by 64.8%, and vaccine availability was known by 71.3%. Only 40.7% of workers were trained on cervical screening, and 35.2% were trained on the interpretation of pap smear results. An overall knowledge score of 53% was obtained, with more experienced clinicians scoring lower grades. This study identified inadequacies in essential knowledge for successful implementation of cervical cancer services and found that extensive training was needed.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/3/325cervical cancerpap smearscreeningrisk factorsknowledge |
| spellingShingle | Ziphelele Ncane Monwabisi Faleni Guillermo Pulido-Estrada Teke R. Apalata Sikhumbuzo A. Mabunda Wezile Chitha Sibusiso Cyprian Nomatshila Knowledge on Cervical Cancer Services and Associated Risk Factors by Health Workers in the Eastern Cape Province Healthcare cervical cancer pap smear screening risk factors knowledge |
| title | Knowledge on Cervical Cancer Services and Associated Risk Factors by Health Workers in the Eastern Cape Province |
| title_full | Knowledge on Cervical Cancer Services and Associated Risk Factors by Health Workers in the Eastern Cape Province |
| title_fullStr | Knowledge on Cervical Cancer Services and Associated Risk Factors by Health Workers in the Eastern Cape Province |
| title_full_unstemmed | Knowledge on Cervical Cancer Services and Associated Risk Factors by Health Workers in the Eastern Cape Province |
| title_short | Knowledge on Cervical Cancer Services and Associated Risk Factors by Health Workers in the Eastern Cape Province |
| title_sort | knowledge on cervical cancer services and associated risk factors by health workers in the eastern cape province |
| topic | cervical cancer pap smear screening risk factors knowledge |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/3/325 |
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