Factors Affecting Uptake of Cervical Cancer Screening Among African Women in Klang Valley, Malaysia

INTRODUCTION: Cervical cancer is a health concern among women worldwide, presently ranking as the second to fourth common cancer type among women in different parts of the world. Human papillomaviruses (HPV) 16 and 18 are the main causative agents of cervical cancer. However, prevention is possible with early and regular cervical cancer screening. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify the cervical cancer screening practices and factors affecting the screening status of African immigrant women attending selected church services in Klang Valley, Malaysia. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study among 320 randomly selected respondents between ages 18-69 was conducted in three different churches with high numbers of African participants. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among the respondents. To ensure a good understanding, the questionnaire was written and self-explained in English language, because English is the general spoken language among the study population. Three levels of analysis were conducted using SPSS 21, involving descriptive analysis, chi square and multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: The response rate was 98.2%, the majority (68.1%) of the respondents being aged 31-50 years and married. The prevalence of screening among the respondents over the past 3 years was 27.2%. Using a p-value of 0.05 as the significance level, the final model showed that marital status (p=0.004), knowledge (p=0.035), perceived barriers (p=0.003), and having a regular health care provider (p<0.001) were the only significant predicting factors of uptake of cervical screening among African immigrant women in Klang Valley, Malaysia. CONCLUSION: The findings revealed that the uptake of cervical cancer screening among the African women was very low. Marital status, knowledge, perceived barriers and having a regular health care provider were the predictive factors. Specific awareness programs to increase uptake should be designed and implemented by the relevant authorities.