A Descriptive Study to Assess the Risk Factors and Knowledge on Cervical Cancer and its Prevention Among Women Residing in a Selected Urban Slum of Delhi and to Develop an Informational Pamphlet on Cervical Cancer and its Prevention

Background: In most of the developing countries including India, cancer of the cervix is the most common malignancy among females. But it is easy to prevent cancer of cervix through pap smear. Thus, the present study was carried out to assess the risk factor and knowledge regarding Cervical Cancer and its prevention among women residing in a selected urban slum of Delhi and to develop and disseminate an informational pamphlet on Cervical Cancer and its prevention.

Objectives: 1)To assess the risk factors related to cervical cancer among women of reproductive age group residing in a selected urban slum of Delhi 2)To assess the knowledge on cervical cancer and its prevention among of reproductive age group. 3) To develop and disseminate an informational pamphlet about cervical cancer and its prevention among women of reproductive age group.

Methods and materials: A community based descriptive study was conducted in Taimoor Nagar, urban slum of Delhi among 60 women of reproductive age group, selected using convenience sampling. Knowledge and risk factor assessment was done using structured knowledge questionnaire as a tool and an informational pamphlet was also disseminated.

Results: A total of 60 women in reproductive age group participated in the study. The data regarding assessment of risk factors , revealed that 38.14% gave birth to their first child before 21 years of age, 16.66% of the women got married at an early age, 7.14% of the women had a parity of three and more than three, 7.14% of the women were using oral contraceptives and 2.13% were consuming tobacco or bidi. It was also found that among the samples, 8 (13.3%) were having three risk factors, 9 (15%) were having two risk factors, 10 (16.7 %) were having one risk factor and the rest i.e., 33 (55%) were not having any risk factors. The data regarding the assessment of knowledge revealed that, most of them, i.e. 28(46.7%) had an average knowledge, 24(40%) had poor knowledge and rest of them i.e., 8(13.3%) had good knowledge and none of them (0%) had excellent knowledge regarding cervical cancer and its prevention. Mean and standard deviation was calculated, it was found to be 11.35 and 3.75 respectively. Conclusion:

The study concludes that effective teaching and education is needed to improve the knowledge of women regarding cervical cancer and its prevention.