Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice on Cervical Cancer Screening and Associated Factors Among Women Aged 15–49 Years in Adigrat Town, Northern Ethiopia, 2019: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer, mainly attributed to persistent infection with a high-risk oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV), is one of the most common types of women’s cancer globally, with more than 90% of new cases occurring in developing and resource-limited countries. In Ethiopia, cervical cancer ranks as the most frequent cancer among women and cause for 4732 deaths annually. OBJECTIVE: To assess knowledge, attitude, practice towards screening on cervical cancer and associated factors among women aged 15–49 years in Adigrat town, northern Tigray Ethiopia. METHODS: A community based quantitative study design was conducted among 617 samples in Adigrat town, northern Tigray Ethiopia. Data were collected using a structured, semi-structured, and pre-tested questionnaire. Associations between dependent and independent variables were tested using logistic regression with the assumptions of p-values <0.05 and confidence interval 95% and considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS: This study indicated that 46.4%, 53.3%, 38.1% of participants had knowledge, positive attitude, and screened on cervical cancer, respectively. Diploma and above [AOR=3.7, 95% CI (1.443, 9.433) were significant factors associated with knowledge of cervical cancer screening utilization. Primary school (1–8) [AOR=2.7, 95% CI (1.297, 5.699)], greater than 500 ETB household income [AOR = 4.8, 95% CI (2.783, 8.577)] were significant factors associated with attitude of cervical cancer screening utilization. Secondary school (9–12) [AOR = 3.4, 95% CI (1.565, 7.458)], not knowledgeable of cervical cancer [AOR = 1.8, 95% CI (1.156, 2.698)] were significant factors associated with practice of cervical cancer screening utilization. CONCLUSION: Factors like age, educational status, anyone knowing with cervical cancer and ever received cancer information had a significant association with knowledge of cervical cancer screening utilization. Educational status and perceived income of the household had a significant association with an attitude of cervical cancer screening utilization. Educational status perceived income of the household, anyone knowing with cervical cancer, ever received cancer information, and knowledge of cervical cancer screening utilization were predictors of cervical cancer screening practice.