KNOWLEDGE REGARDING CERVICAL CANCER AMONG REPRODUCTIVE WOMEN IN TEACHING HOSPITAL BIRGUNJ, NEPAL

Author Name: 1. Sabita Rai 2. Indira Adhikari (Poudel) 3. Alpana Mandal 4. Radha Kumari (Poudel) 5. Shova Duwal

Volume/Issue: 03/03

Country: Nepal

DOI NO.: 08.2020-25662434 DOI Link: https://www.doi-ds.org/doilink/09.2022-24912572/UIJIR

Affiliation:

1. Lecturer, Deparatment of  OBG Nursing,Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences, Nepal.
2. Lecturer, Department of  OBG Nursing,Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences, Nepal.
3. Lecturer, Department of  OBG Nursing, National Medical College, Brigunj, Nepal.
4. Lecturer,Department of  Community Nursing ,Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences,Nepal
5. Nursing Officer, Bhaktapur Hospital, Bhaktapur, Nepal.

ABSTRACT

Cervical cancer is one of the commonest cancers in Nepal. Fortunately, it is preventable by detecting precancerous lesions and early invasive cancers by various screening tools. The objective of the study was to find out the level of knowledge regarding cervical cancer among the reproductive age group women. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was carried out in the Gynecological and Obstetrical Out-patient department of National Medical College Teaching Hospital Birgunj, from July 2018 to 0ct2018. 96 reproductive age group women were selected by using Non- the Random Sampling technique, i.e. Purposive Sampling Technique. Data were collected on a daily basis for one month 16 September to 17 Oct 2018 one month through a structured interview schedule. The obtained data were entered in Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study findings revealed that most of the respondents (68.8 %) were of the age group 15-35 years. The majority of the respondents (81.3%) and (96.9%) follow the Hindu religion and were married respectively. More than three fourth of the respondents (75.0% and 72.9%) were literate and homemakers respectively. More than half of the respondents (52.1%) got information about cervical cancer from mass media. Concerning the level of knowledge of cervical cancer, the study revealed that the majority (89.6%) of the respondents had adequate knowledge and only 10.4% had inadequate knowledge. The study findings revealed that there was no statistically significant association between level of knowledge and the selected variables except the level of education, (p-value= 0.039) The study concluded that three fourth of the respondents had adequate knowledge regarding cervical cancer and the remaining respondents had inadequate knowledge. Though the women had adequate knowledge, they had poor knowledge regarding screening practices for cervical cancer. Thus awareness programs regarding cervical cancer should be delivered more on television and health personnel should be mobilized for conducting screening services and health education programs in the community settings.

Key words: Knowledge, Cervical cancer, Reproductive,Women