Factors influencing cervical cancer screening among pregnant women in Nairobi, Kenya

To characterize cervical cancer screening knowledge, beliefs, behaviors, and sociodemographic factors among women aged 25-45 years who access and utilize prenatal care services in Nairobi, Kenya. A descriptive cross-sectional design using a convenience sample of pregnant women receiving prenatal health services at a public and a private hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. Constructs from the Health Belief Model (HBM) guided the design, interpretation of the results, and recommendations. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 24. Bivariate analyses were conducted to examine associations between variables. There was a significant association (p=0.001) between knowledge and screening behaviors. There was no association (p=0.066) between cervical cancer beliefs (perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and self-efficacy) and screening behaviors. Knowledge and beliefs influence cervical cancer screening behavior. Low cervical cancer screening uptake substantiates the need for tailoring culturally specific health behavior change communication to address misconceptions about cervical cancer screening in Kenya.

Variation of cervical cancer incidence in Latin America and the Caribbean / Variación de la incidencia del cáncer cervicouterino en América Latina y el Caribe

OBJECTIVE: To provide a comprehensive analysis of the descriptive epidemiology of invasive cervical cancer in Latin America and the Caribbean by analyzing quality data from the area's cancer registries, including data that were excluded from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) publication, Cancer Incidence in Five Continents, Vol. IX (CI5-IX). METHODS: This was a descriptive epidemiologic study that involved 20 cancer registries, 9 of which were included by IARC in CI5-IX, and 11 of which were not. Data on invasive cervical cancers diagnosed from 1998-2002 were obtained from IARC. A cervical cancerspecific quality assessment was performed on all registries whether or not they were included in CI5-IX. Data from 14 registries met quality criteria and were analyzed. Incidence rates were calculated and compared across registries. RESULTS: A substantial variation in incidence rates existed among the registries; agestandardized rates ranged from 14.6-44.0 per 100 000 women per year. Mean cervical cancer incidence rates were 10.4% higher for registries included in CI5-IX than for those excluded; however, this difference was not significant (P = 0.541). CONCLUSIONS: This study compared cervical cancer rates from a more diverse group of Latin American and Caribbean countries than that of the CI5-IX. The heterogeneity found among registries highlights the importance of examining data from as many registries as possible when characterizing risk across a geographic area. Data from developing countries can be used to better understand cancer distribution and enable Region-specific recommendations on cancer control and prevention once data quality has been established.

OBJETIVO: Efectuar un análisis integral de las características epidemiológicas descriptivas del cáncer de cervicouterino invasor en América Latina y el Caribe mediante el análisis de datos de calidad de los registros de cáncer de la región, incluso datos que fueron excluidos de la publicación del Centro Internacional de Investigaciones sobre el Cáncer (CIIC), Incidencia del cáncer en cinco continentes, Vol. IX (CI5-IX). MÉTODOS: En este estudio epidemiológico descriptivo se incluyeron 20 registros sobre el cáncer, de los cuales solo nueve fueron incluidos por el CIIC en el informe CI5-IX. Los datos sobre cáncer cervicouterino invasor diagnosticado entre 1998 y 2002 se obtuvieron a partir del CIIC. Se llevó a cabo una evaluación de la calidad de todos los registros específica para el cáncer cervicouterino, con independencia de que estuvieran incluidos en el informe CI5-IX o no. Los datos de 14 registros satisficieron los criterios de calidad y se analizaron. Se calcularon las tasas de incidencia y se compararon estas entre los registros. RESULTADOS: Entre los registros se comprobó una variación sustancial en las tasas de incidencia; las tasas normalizadas según la edad variaron entre 14,6 y 44,0 por 100 000 mujeres por año. Las tasas de incidencia medias de cáncer cervicouterino fueron 10,4% mayores en los registros incluidos en el CI5-IX que en aquellos excluidos; sin embargo, esta diferencia no fue significativa (P = 0,541). CONCLUSIONES: En este estudio se compararon las tasas de cáncer cervicouterino de un grupo más diverso de países de América Latina y el Caribe que el comprendido en el informe CI5-IX. La heterogeneidad encontrada entre los registros destaca la importancia de examinar los datos de tantos registros como sea posible cuando se caracteriza el riesgo en una zona geográfica. Los datos de los países en desarrollo pueden usarse para conocer más a fondo la distribución del cáncer y permiten formular recomendaciones específicas para la región sobre el control y la prevención del cáncer, una vez que se ha comprobado la calidad de los datos.