title: Factors associated with the uptake of cervical cancer screening among women in portland, Jamaica.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women worldwide and is the leading cause of deaths in developing countries. Despite the strong evidence that cervical cancer screening results in decreased mortality from this disease, the uptake for cervical screening among Jamaican women remains low.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was carried out to identify factors associated with Jamaican women's decisions to screen for cervical cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional descriptive study of 403 women aged 19 years and older from Portland, Jamaica. An interviewer-administered questionnaire assessed the women's cervical cancer screening history, as well as their knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding the disease and screening.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 403 women interviewed, 66% had a Papanicolaou (Pap) smear and only 16% had a Pap test within the past year. Significant predicators of uptake of screening were being married, age, parity, discussing cancer with health provider, perception of consequences of not having a Pap smear, and knowing a person with cervical cancer. Women who did not know where to go for a Pap smear were 85% less likely to have been screened (prevalence odds ratio (POR): 0.15, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.04, 0.52).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed suboptimal uptake of cervical cancer screening among Jamaican women. Multipronged approaches are needed to address barriers to screening, as well as identify and support conditions that encourage women's use of reproductive health services, thereby reducing incidence and mortality rates from cervical cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
authors.forename: Butho
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ncube
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
authors.forename: Amita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bey
authors.affiliation: North East Regional Health Authority, Jamaica.
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bessler
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
authors.forename: Pauline E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Jolly
keywords: Cervical cancer; Cervical screenings; Health systems; Jamaica; Pap smears
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