Knowledge, Attitudes And Socio-Cultural Practices That Influence The Control Of Cervical Cancer Among Women In Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

ABSTRACT

Cancer is now recognized globally as one of the leading non-communicable diseases.

Each year about half a million women develop invasive cancer of the uterine cervix,

with more than 80% occurring in low-income countries. Whereas research and

technology have realized great positive innovation in the control of cervical cancer in

terms of prevention, easy to administer and less invasive detection and treatment

procedures, the disease continues to be a commonly occurring cancer among women

with incidence and mortality rates going higher each year. The study’s general

objective was to determine the knowledge, attitudes and practices that influence the

control of cervical cancer in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. Questionnaires, interview

schedules and focus group discussions were used for data collection. Descriptive,

correlation and evaluation research designs were employed. Both probability and non

probability sampling were used to sample the study participants. Data was analyzed

using (SPSS) version 20. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine the

significance between socio-demographic factors and uptake of cervical cancer control

interventions while chi-square analyses was used to test the degree of association.

Majority of the participants, 91.4% (n=363) had heard about cervical cancer with

38.2% (n=136) having heard it from the media, 27.2% (n=97) from a friend while

23.6% (n=84) from a health worker. 40.2% (n=144) reported bacteria, 24% (n=86)

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), while 34.6% (n=124) did not know the cause of

cervical cancer. Majority of the participants reported sexual contact 73% (n=299)

while 11.4% (n=36) reported hereditary as the main transmission modes. Majority of

the participants had heard of ways to prevent cervical cancer 62.1% (n=223) with Pap

smear 62% (n=225) and vaccination 16.1% (n=60) being the commonly known. Only

35.5% (n=142) had ever been screened in the past of which 46.4% (n=65) had been

screened in the last 12 months. Only 22.2% (n=84) had heard about HPV vaccine of

which 25% (n=21) had been vaccinated with the HPV vaccine. Barriers to reception

identified included; gender of health care provider; influence of traditional herbal

medicine; perception of not being at risk or being well and the perception that cervical

cancer screening is a painful and an unbearable procedure. The study concludes that

the adequate knowledge and awareness exhibited by the participants did not translate

into positive practice. Therefore, there is need for the Ministry of Health to identify

possible information gaps and communication challenges and develop culturally

sensitive cervical screening programs.