Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Health Workers Toward Cervical Cancer Screening

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Reassuring women to take part in screening program for cervical cancer cause early diagnosis and declining complication of this cancer. The aim of this study is determining knowledge and attitude of health providers, worked in healthcare centers of Mianeh, a city in north west of Iran. Material and Methods: This descriptive-analytic study included 117 health providers providing primary health services in the Mianeh healthcare facility centers. Data collected by using a 27‐items questionnaire that its validity and reliability had been confirmed. Data analysis performed by an Independent Samples t Test in SPSS Results: This study included a total of 187 health providers. Among them, 117 health providers completed the questionnaire (response rates 63 percent). The majority of participants were women (75 percent). The mean knowledge and attitude scores were 10.06 ± 2.31 (the range from zero to 14) and 8.03 ± 3.17(the range from zero to 13), respectively. More than half of participated women, who all were married, had done twice or more screening test for cervical cancer (55.67 percent). There was no statistically significant difference in knowledge and attitude of health providers' score with respect to age, gender, education, marital status and work experience. The knowledge and attitudes score of the female health providers who had done twice or more screening test for cervical cancer were statistically significant higher than others (p value > 0.05). The negative attitude considering cervical screening was caused by experiencing pain (67 percent), ulcer and hemorrhage (53 percent). Conclusion: Though health workers have partially suitable knowledge, attitude and practice toward cervical screening test, appropriate interventions are required to improve them.