DOI: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-1621178/v1
Background: Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women and recognized as a significant public health problem. Screening is acknowledged as the most effective approach for cervical cancer control. However, in Ethiopia, the existing screening programs are failing to achieve a significant impact.
Objectives: To assess knowledge, attitude, and practice towards cervical cancer screening and its associated factors among women in the reproductive age group, in the Metekel zone, Benishangul-Gumuz Region, Northwest, Ethiopia, 2020.
Methods: A community -based cross- sectional study design was employed on January 25 to 25, February, 2020, among reproductive age group women living in Benishangul-Gumuz. Multistage sampling, followed by a systematic sampling technique, was used to select 822 study participants. Data were entered using Epi-data version 4.1, and further analysis was conducted using SPSS version 25. Both bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis applied to assess the association of dependent variables with different independent variables. Adjusted Odd Ratio at a p-value less than 0.05 with a respected 95% confidence interval was used to declare the significant association.
Results: A total number of 822 reproductive age women were included in this study giving a response rate of 100%. A bout 16.1% had adequate knowledge towards cervical cancer screening, 42.3 % had favorable attitude towards cervical cancer screening. Only 7.5% of women practiced cervical cancer screening. Higher education (AOR: 5.341, 95% CI: 2.808-10.159) were significantly associated with knowledge, and Adequate knowledge (AOR: 2,275:95%; CI 1.363-3.798) were significantly predictors of favorable attitude towards cervical cancer screening. Wealth status (AOR: 3.654; 95%CI: 1.347-9.913) was significantly associated with uptake of cervical cancer screening.
Conclusion and recommendation: This study found that the level of knowledge, attitude and cervical cancer screening practice among reproductive-age women was sill unacceptably poor. So, the concerned body would aggressively strength program on health information dissemination targeted reproductive age women’s of the district community in order to create awareness and changing their attitude towards cervical cancer screening.