A Study to Assess the Health Seeking Behavior of Women Towards Cervical Cancer Screening Among Women in Selected Areas of Puducherry

Globally cancer is a major public health problem, one out of 10 deaths occur due to cancer. Worldwide, cervical cancer comprises 12% of all cancers in women, of the 4,66,000 cases estimated to have occurred in the year 2002, developing countries account for 3,70,000 cases. Around 2,31,000 women die of cervical cancer every year in the world and, over 80% of whom live in developing countries. South East Asia contributes about 25% of the total disease burden (Maria Juliette, WHO). All over the world, successful cervical cancer prevention is based on women's participation in screening and on an organized screening program. But the resources are scarce in developing countries to conduct organized cytology based screening programme and to bring awareness about cervical screening among women. Hence, there is a necessity to bring awareness among women regarding cervical cancer screening which can improve the health seeking behavior by making them to undergo screening.

Objectives:

1. To assess the knowledge of women regarding cervical cancer screening.

2. To determine the association between the selected demographic variables and knowledge of women regarding cervical cancer screening.

3. To identify the health seeking behavior of women after imparting knowledge on cervical cancer screening. Design: The study was conducted as pre-experimental design of one group pre and post test design. Setting: Setting of the study was selected villages in Puducherry covered by Villianur Health Center and Community Health Centre, Mannadipet and Thirubhuvani. Participants: 520 women under the age group of 35-55years from the villages covered by Mannadipet Community Health Centre and Villianur Primary Health centre were selected by stratified simple random sampling with the help of the enumeration register maintained by the field staffs of the concern health centers. Intervention: The knowledge of the women was assessed by giving pre test followed by teaching intervention (N=520). Educational intervention was given in the form of structured teaching and its impact was tested by giving post test within a week. The health seeking behavior of the women was identified by their acceptance for screening (N = 204).

Measurements and tools: The structured questionnaire was utilized to assess the knowledge before and after health intervention during the study. Collected data was analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings: The health seeking behavior of women of subjecting themselves for cervical cancer screening is increased by creating awareness by imparting educational intervention. Key Conclusion: Creating awareness by educational intervention will improve the health seeking behavior of making women by creating awareness to accept cervical cancer screening.

Implications for clinical practice: Creating awareness by imparting health education will improve the health seeking behavior of women by making them to undergo cervical cancer screening.