Saudi Women’s Knowledge and Attitude toward Cervical Cancer Screening, Treatment, and Prevention: A Cross-Sectional Study in Qassim Region (2018-2019)

Abstract

Background: Cervical cancer is a preventable and curable disease if early diagnosed; however, most of the cases present late; hence, there is a need to raise the awareness about cervical cancer and to establish screening programs. We aimed to assess the knowledge and attitudes toward screening and to determine the current status of awareness among women. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among 2,220 Saudi women in the Qassim region using a validated questionnaire that gathers data on socio-demographics, knowledge and attitude domains. Results: Among the participants, 952 (42.9%) were between 31 and 45 years old; most were married and highly educated 1,754 (79%), and showed moderate knowledge about cervical cancer symptoms, prevention, and screening. The most reported symptom was non-cyclic bleeding by 511 (23%), while prolonged use of contraceptives 289 (13%) was the more selected risk factor by participants. We found that 1,881 (84.7%) of women had not undergone a Pap smear test, and 805 participants (42.8%) expressed their refusal to attend for it, citing various reasons; the most reported was that they do not know someone who tried pap smear. A significant negative correlation was found between the level of knowledge and acceptance to vaccinate daughters at school age against human papillomavirus. Conclusion: Saudi women in the Qassim region have moderate awareness of cervical cancer but negative attitudes toward screening. Awareness campaigns are needed to promote knowledge and improve pap smear attendance to eliminate negative perceptions and beliefs.

Human papillomavirus and its vaccination: Knowledge and attitudes among female university students in Saudi Arabia

“…[ 30 ] Likewise, several studies in Saudi Arabia found unsatisfactory levels of knowledge pertaining to cervical cancer and screening. [ 3 24 25 26 27 30 31 32 33 34 ] All these results indicate the need for improvement in the levels of awareness about screening tools for cervical cancer. However, studies in Western countries showed better levels of knowledge of the Pap smear as a screening tool.…”

“…The positive association between educational academic year and age with knowledge scores on cervical cancer reflects the students' educational level. [ 16 17 29 32 33 34 ] Students with parents in the health profession also had increased scores. Nevertheless, monthly income did not significantly affect the knowledge scores.…”

Awareness and Practices Related to Cervical Cancer among Females in Saudi Arabia

“…Data regarding awareness level were measured in university students and the general population in Riyadh, Jeddah, Al-Ahsa, Hail, Qassim, and the southern region [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24]. However, different results were obtained, suggesting that the knowledge level varies among women as a function of their occupation or region.…”

Factors associated with cervical cancer screening behaviour of women attending gynaecological clinics in Kazakhstan: A cross-sectional study

“… 19 Similar results were also found in the study among Saudi women, whereby 70% of women had previous knowledge of CC, but had very low awareness that HPV was the main risk factor for CC (3.2%). 21 A study conducted in Ethiopia revealed only 30% of the participants had knowledge of CC. In comparison, our study showed that 40.1% of women attending gynaecological clinics in Kazakhstan were aware of CC and 25.7% were aware of the HPV infection as a risk factor for CC.…”