Factors Influencing Utilization of Cervical Cancer Screening Services Among Women of Reproductive Age in Calabar Municipality, Cross River State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Cervical cancer is the second most prevalent cancer among women in developing countries. Despite all public health measures, the death rate from the disease in Nigeria continues to increase. The uptake of cervical cancer screening services in Nigeria is very low hence, this study sought to determine the factors influencing this, among women of reproductive age in Calabar Municipality.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used to assess the factors influencing the uptake of available cervical cancer screening services in Calabar, Cross River State. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 450 women of reproductive age, selected using a multi-stage sampling technique. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 20.
Results: Twenty-eight (6.2%) respondents had utilized available cervical cancer screening services out of which 10 (35.7%) utilized the services within the 6 months preceding the survey and 8 (28.6%) utilized the services between the 6-12 months preceding the survey. Poor awareness about the availability of screening services (45.3%), low-risk perception (6.0%), poor knowledge of where to access services (18.5%), and financial constraints (11.6%) were factors that influenced the use of cervical cancer screening services. Age, marital status and occupation were found to be significantly associated with screening service utilization (p<0.05) at bivariate level but only age was significant in the multivariate model.
Conclusion: There is a need for health education to raise awareness and other interventions that could address socio-economic challenges that impede the utilization of cervical cancer screening services.