Implementing a cervical cancer awareness program in low- income settings in Western China: a community-based locally affordable intervention for risk reduction.
BACKGROUND
Some 60 years after introduction of the Papanicolaou smear worldwide, cervical cancer remains a burden in developing countries where >85% of world new cases and deaths occur, suggesting a failure to establish comprehensive cervical-cancer control programs. Effective interventions are available to control cervical cancer but are not all affordable in low-income settings. Disease awareness saves lives by risk-reduction as witnessed in reducing mortality of HIV/AIDS and smoking-related cancers.


METHODS
We initiated a community-based awareness program on cervical cancer in two low-income Muslim Uyghur townships in Kashi (Kashgar) Prefecture, Xinjiang, China in 2008. The education involved more than 5,000 women from two rural townships and awareness was then evaluated in 2010 and 2011, respectively, using a questionnaire with 10 basic knowledge questions on cervical cancer. Demographic information was also collected and included in an EpiData database. A 10-point scoring system was used to score the awareness.


RESULTS
The effectiveness and feasibility of the program were evaluated among 4,475 women aged 19-70 years, of whom >92% lived on/ below US$1.00/day. Women without prior education showed a poor average awareness rate of 6.4% (164/2,559). A onetime education intervention, however, sharply raised the awareness rate by 4-fold to 25.5% (493/1,916). Importantly, low income and illiteracy were two reliable factors affecting awareness before or after education intervention.


CONCLUSIONS
Education intervention can significantly raise the awareness of cervical cancer in low-income women. Economic development and compulsory education are two important solutions in raising general disease awareness. We propose that implementing community-based awareness programs against cervical cancer is realistic, locally affordable and sustainable in low-income countries, which may save many lives over time and, importantly, will facilitate the integration of comprehensive programs when feasible. In this context, adopting this strategy may provide one good example of how to achieve "good health at low cost".
Department of Pathology, Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, China E-mail : zhangwj82@yahoo.com.
Dilixia
D
Simayi
Lan
L
Yang
Feng
F
Li
Ying-Hong
YH
Wang
A
A
Amanguli
Wei
W
Zhang
Meiliguli
M
Mohemaiti
Lin
L
Tao
Jin
J
Zhao
Ming-Xia
MX
Jing
Wei
W
Wang
Abudukeyoumu
A
Saimaiti
Xiao-Guang
XG
Zou
Ayinuer
A
Maimaiti
Zhi-Ping
ZP
Ma
Xiao-Ling
XL
Hao
Fen
F
Duan
Fang
F
Jing
Hui-Li
HL
Bai
Zhao
Z
Liu
Lei
L
Zhang
Cheng
C
Chen
Li
L
Cong
Xi
X
Zhang
Hong-Yan
HY
Zhang
Jin-Qiong
JQ
Zhan
Wen Jie
WJ
Zhang
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002681:China; D003153:Community Health Services; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D011203:Poverty; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011379:Prognosis; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D055815:Young Adult