Decisions to Attend Cervical Cancer Screening Among Women Aged 35 to 60 Years Residing within the Kalasin Municipality Area, Muang District, Kalasin Province

Abstract

This case-control study aimed to determine why women aged 35 to 60 years old attended cervical
cancer screening in areas under the responsibility of the Primary Care Unit 2 of the Kalasin Hospital. Cases
were 100 women who attended cervical cancer screening in the foregoing five years. As controls 100 women
who never were screened for cervical cancer in the last five years had been selected. Information was
assessed through a face to face interview with a structured questionnaire.
A multiple logistic regression analysis using the backward elimination method had been performed and
the factors related to the decision to attend cervical cancer screening had been ‘having abnormal vaginal
symptoms’ (OR=3.49; 95% CI=1.62-7.52), ‘were not embarrassed by the screening procedure’ (OR=6.54; 95%
CI=3.25-13.16), and ‘having time to participate in screening’ (OR=21.88; 95% CI=5.67- 84.57). Women who
never participated in screening for cervical cancer in the foregoing five years, mentioned that they will undergo
cervical cancer screening next year in case ‘they have time’ (OR=5.01; 95% CI=1.91-13.17). Other motivating
or de-motivating factors were not significantly related to cancer screening as far as the controls were
concerned.
The result of this investigation illustrate that it is necessary to improve the perception and knowledge
about the benefit for cervical cancer screening among the group of females at high risk and it is especially
important to convince the women not to be embarrassed while participating in the screening procedure and not
to delay screening unduly.