ABSTRACT
Aim of the Study: The study attempt to answer the question: what are the socio-demographic factors associated with the practice of cervical cancer screening among women of reproductive age in Rivers West Senatorial District of Rivers State.
Design/Methodology: The descriptive survey research design was adopted with a population of 43,068 women of childbearing age (15-49 years). The multi-stage sampling procedure was adopted. The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire with a reliability coefficient of 0.78. Data analysis was carried out with the aid of the Statistical Product for Service Solution (SPSS V-27) using statistical tools such as percentages and Chi-square set at 0.05 alpha level.
Findings: The finding of the study showed that the level of practice of cervical cancer screening was low (15.7%). The result also showed that there was a statistically significant association between socio-demographic factors [age (X2-value = 35.73, df = 2, p<0.05), education (X2-value = 45.54, df = 3, p<0.05) and marital status (X2-value = 118.29, df = 3, p<0.05)] and practice of cervical cancer screening.
Practical Implications: Leveraging the cervical cancer screening survey, this shows that women in developing countries are not concerned about screening, they prefer diagnosis when the health condition is suspected. This can explain for the poor treatment outcome for cervical cancer in developing countries because more of the cases are presented at a late stage of the disease, making its management difficult.
Originality/value: The current study makes substantial contribution to the extant literature on the cervical cancer screening. It provides a current data on screening, with respect to socio-demographic factors to guide what demography to consider when planning an intervention or programme for massive screening.
Paper type: Research paper/article.
Keywords: Cervical Cancer, Demographic, Screening, Practice
