Factors associated with cervical cancer screening among women aged 30-60 years in Wiang Kaen District, Chiang Rai Province

Abstract

This research aims to study factors associated with the accessibility of cervical cancer screening among women aged 30-60 years in Wiang Kaen District, Chiang Rai Province. A cross-sectional study was conducted between April and September 2024. A total of 414 participants living in Wiang Kaen District, Chiang Rai Province, were recruited. Data collection was conducted using a validated questionnaire, and data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. Inferential statistics, including chi-square tests and logistic regression, were used to identify factors associated with cervical cancer screening. The study found that 43.0% of the participants had undergone cervical cancer screening. Analysis revealed that Thai ethnic women were 2.46 times more likely to undergo cervical cancer screening compared to women of other ethnicities (95% CI: 1.55-3.90). Non-farmers were 1.71 times more likely to undergo screening than farmers (95% CI: 1.12-2.60). Additionally, women with a high perceived severity of cervical cancer were 2.30 times more likely to be screened compared to those with moderate to low perceived severity (95% CI: 1.34-3.97). This study demonstrates that cervical cancer screening rates were lower in border or remote areas, mostly due to limited access to health information and services. These areas also had significant ethnic minority populations who face challenges such as language barriers and limited healthcare access. Furthermore, most of them were farmers who reported that accessing screening services was inconvenient, and their perception of risk and severity of cervical cancer tended to be moderate to low. Therefore, screening service access should be enhanced for ethnic minorities, non-Thai populations, and farmers. Public health efforts should also emphasize the increasing perceptions about the severity and potential consequences of cervical cancer for the populations.