Factors Affecting Uptake of Cervical Cancer Screening Among African Women in Klang Valley, Malaysia

Abstract

Introduction: Cervical cancer is a health concern among women worldwide, presently ranking as the second to fourth<br />common cancer type among women in different parts of the world. Human papillomaviruses (HPV) 16 and 18 are the<br />main causative agents of cervical cancer. However, prevention is possible with early and regular cervical cancer screening.<br />Objective: This study aimed to identify the cervical cancer screening practices and factors affecting the screening<br />status of African immigrant women attending selected church services in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Methodology:<br />A cross-sectional study among 320 randomly selected respondents between ages 18-69 was conducted in three different<br />churches with high numbers of African participants. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among the<br />respondents. To ensure a good understanding, the questionnaire was written and self-explained in English language,<br />because English is the general spoken language among the study population. Three levels of analysis were conducted<br />using SPSS 21, involving descriptive analysis, chi square and multiple logistic regression. Results: The response rate<br />was 98.2%, the majority (68.1%) of the respondents being aged 31-50 years and married. The prevalence of screening<br />among the respondents over the past 3 years was 27.2%. Using a p-value of 0.05 as the significance level, the final<br />model showed that marital status (p=0.004), knowledge (p=0.035), perceived barriers (p=0.003), and having a regular<br />health care provider (p<0.001) were the only significant predicting factors of uptake of cervical screening among African<br />immigrant women in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Conclusion: The findings revealed that the uptake of cervical cancer<br />screening among the African women was very low. Marital status, knowledge, perceived barriers and having a regular<br />health care provider were the predictive factors. Specific awareness programs to increase uptake should be designed and<br />implemented by the relevant authorities.