KNOWLEDGE TOWARDS PREVENTION OF CERVICAL CANCER AMONG NURSING STUDENTS OF ANMTC BARH, BIHAR

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Cervical cancer is the most common cancer among Indian women. Numerous studies were conducted on Nursing students towards the prevention of cervical cancer in India and all over the world. Previous studies disclosed there is a lack of knowledge regarding cervical cancer among nursing students. In this study, ANM students were selected as ANM are working in the community and are the first-line health care provider according to the Indian health care system. Therefore, the study to assess the knowledge of ANM students towards the prevention of cervical cancer is done. Purpose: the purpose of the study was to assess the knowledge towards the prevention of cervical cancer among nursing students and to find an association between knowledge and selected demographic variables. Methodology: A non-experimental descriptive study was conducted to assess knowledge towards the prevention of cervical cancer among 111 nursing students of ANMTC Barh, Bihar. The age group was 17-22 years. Both 1st and 2nd -year students, whoever was available during the data collection and willing were included in the study. A self-structured questionnaire was developed for assessing the level of knowledge among nursing students. The tool was found valid and reliable after testing. A purposive sampling technique was selected. The collected data were tabulated and analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics. Result: The majority of the students belonged to age 19 years (32.4%), almost 93.7% of students were Hindu. The main source of information was mass media (32.4%). Although a majority of the students (56%) were having average knowledge, the highest level of knowledge was present among 21 years age group and the lowest was present among 22 years of age group. Conclusion: The study showed that being health care providers also a majority of the students are having average knowledge towards prevention of cervical cancer which raises a concern, as preventive meas