title: Community-Based Health Education has Positive Influence on the Attitude to Cervical Cancer Screening among Women in Rural Nepal.
abstract: The main purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge of cervical cancer among women in rural Nepal and explore the feasibility and impact of a community-based awareness program on cervical cancer. Community-based educational meetings on cervical cancer and its prevention were conducted among women's groups in rural Nepal. Through a questionnaire, the women's baseline knowledge of risk factors, symptoms, and perceived risk of cervical cancer were identified. The willingness to participate in cervical cancer screening was compared before and after the educational meeting. The meetings were followed by a cervical cancer screening program. Among the 122 participants at the educational meeting, only 6 % had heard of cervical cancer. Their baseline knowledge of risk factors and symptoms was poor. The proportion of women willing to participate in cervical screening increased from 15.6 to 100 % after attending the educational meeting. All the study subjects participated in the screening program. Additionally, the study participants recruited a further 222 of their peers for screening. Poor knowledge of cervical cancer among women in rural Nepal highlights the urgency of public awareness programs for cervical cancer at a national level. A community-based awareness program can change women's attitude to cervical screening, and women's groups can play a major role in promoting participation in cervical cancer screening programs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences (KUSMS), Dhulikhel Hospital, Kavre, Nepal. sunila.shakya@ntnu.no.|Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children's and Women's Health, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491, Trondheim, Norway. sunila.shakya@ntnu.no.
authors.forename: Sunila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shakya
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences (KUSMS), Dhulikhel Hospital, Kavre, Nepal.
authors.forename: Biraj Man
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Karmacharya
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children's and Women's Health, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491, Trondheim, Norway.|Department of Microbiology, St. Olav's Hospital, 7006, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Jan Egil
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Afset
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children's and Women's Health, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bofin
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, N-7491, Trondheim, Norway.|Department of Endocrinology, St. Olav's Hospital, 7006, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Bjørn Olav
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Åsvold
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, St. Olav's Hospital, 7006, Trondheim, Norway.|Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, N-7491, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Unni
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Syversen
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children's and Women's Health, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491, Trondheim, Norway.|Department of Gynecologic Oncology, St. Olav's Hospital, 7006, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Solveig
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tingulstad
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009390:Nepal / Q000453:epidemiology; D012424:Rural Population; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D016387:Women's Health
keywords: Awareness; Cervical cancer; Health education; Nepal; Women’s group