Strategies for Increasing Cervical Cancer Screening Amongst First Nations Communities in Northwest Ontario, Canada.
The high burden of cervical cancer in Indigenous populations worldwide is due to underscreening and inadequate follow-up. Using qualitative, participatory action research, we interviewed health care staff to identify ways to increase screening recruitment in First Nations communities in Northwest Ontario, Canada. Our findings suggest the value of a multilevel social-ecological model to promote behavioral changes at the community, health care service and stakeholder, and decision-maker level. Participants emphasized the central role of First Nations women as nurturers of life and for the well-being of their family members. They stressed the importance of building awareness and motivation for cervical cancer screening through various activities including continuous education, hosting screening events specifically for women, improving the attitude and service of health care providers, and promoting screening tools and policies that complement and are respectful of First Nations women.
a Northern Ontario School of Medicine , Sudbury , Ontario , Canada.
Marion
M
Maar
b Department of Sociology and Women's Studies, Lakehead University , Thunder Bay , Ontario , Canada.
Pamela
P
Wakewich
c Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute , Thunder Bay , Ontario , Canada.
Brianne
B
Wood
d Viral Exanthemata and STD Section, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada , Winnipeg , Manitoba , Canada.
Alberto
A
Severini
e Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine , University of Ottawa , Ottawa , Ontario , Canada.
Julian
J
Little
f Ontario HIV Treatment Network; and Dalla Lana School of Public Health , Toronto , Ontario , Canada.
Ann N
AN
Burchell
g Clinical Prevention Services, BC Centre for Disease Control , Vancouver , British Columbia , Canada.
Gina
G
Ogilvie
a Northern Ontario School of Medicine , Sudbury , Ontario , Canada.|b Department of Sociology and Women's Studies, Lakehead University , Thunder Bay , Ontario , Canada.
Ingeborg
I
Zehbe
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002170:Canada; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006302:Health Services Research; D006303:Health Services, Indigenous / Q000458:organization & administration*; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009864:Ontario; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014626:Vaginal Smears