Knowledge and attitudes associated with visual inspection with acetic acid screening behaviour among women of reproductive age
DOI: https://doi.org/10.56922/msc.v6i5.4422
Attitude Cervical Cancer Knowledge Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid Women of Reproductive Age
Abstract
Background: Cervical cancer remains a major preventable cause of morbidity and mortality among women. Participation in visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) screening remains low in many primary-care settings.
Purpose: To examine the associations of knowledge and attitude with VIA screening behaviour among women of reproductive age.
Method: This analytical cross-sectional study included 85 women of reproductive age selected by purposive sampling in the service area of Dwikora Jaya Community Health Centre. Knowledge, attitude, and previous VIA screening were assessed by questionnaire. Fisher's exact test was used for the knowledge analysis and the Pearson chi-square test for the attitude analysis, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05.
Results: Adequate knowledge was reported by 62 women (72.9%), a favorable attitude by 45 women (52.9%), and 12 women (14.1%) had ever been screened with VIA. Knowledge was associated with VIA screening behaviour (p = 0.031); the prevalence of never being screened was 1.240 times higher among women with inadequate than adequate knowledge (95% CI, 1.098–1.401). A favorable attitude was associated with higher odds of previous VIA screening (OR = 5.429; 95% CI, 1.111–26.517; p = 0.023).
Conclusion: Knowledge and attitude were associated with VIA screening behaviour, but the cross-sectional design does not establish causality. The wide confidence interval for the attitude association indicates substantial uncertainty in its magnitude.
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