Sociodemographic factors associated with knowledge and practice on cervical cancer among female residents of Herat, Afghanistan: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: According to the World Health Organization, cervical cancer is the “fourth most common cancer in women”; around 311,000 women globally lost their lives to cervical cancer in 2018. The purpose of the current study is to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of women in Afghanistan regarding cervical cancer. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2022 to November 2022 among female residents aged at least 10 years old living in Herat province of Afghanistan. A total of 1000 female in Herat were asked, and about 441 agreed to participate in this study (response rate=44.1%). Results: One-fifth of the participants were adolescents and were 10-17 years old (20%). Almost three out of four participants had no education (73.0%). Less than one-third of the participants were single (30.4%). Almost half of the participants had low knowledge on cervical cancer. Participants residency, occupation, and monthly family income were significantly associated with knowledge of cervical cancer. Conclusion: The observations here have shown there is space for development surrounding knowledge and practices about cervical cancer. The study sample have demonstrated that the participation of healthcare providers and organizations on awareness of people about cervical cancer was low compared to other sources of information. What underscores these aspects of shortcomings in health information and practices is the disparities in residency, employment, and monthly family income among women.