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conferenceseries.com
Volume 5, Issue 4 (Suppl) Occup Med Health Aff
ISSN: 2329-6879 OMHA, an open access journal Health Congress 2017
October 16-17, 2017
October 16-17, 2017 Dubai, UAE
12th World Congress on
Industrial Health, Healthcare and Medical Tourism
Women’s attitudes and beliefs regarding cervical cancer prevention at rural health care facilities in
Limpopo province of South Africa
Mudau Azwinndini Gladys
University of Venda, South Africa
Statement of the Problem: In South Africa, cervical cancer is rife among black women and approximately 3,680 women die of
cervical cancer every year and one in every 41 women will within their lifetime develop cervical cancer. Women having a Pap
smear were associated with 70% lower odds of developing cervical cancer compared to those who have never been screened,
but among black women Adentola (2011) found that 60.5% never received Pap smear. A variety of factors ranging from low
socio-economic status, low level of education and unemployment to superstitious beliefs about the disease can be adduced to
make it difficult for women in South Africa to accept health care or seek early detection of cervical cancer. As the population of
women continues to increase in the midst of widespread superstition in South Africa, especially in the Limpopo Province, the
researchers deemed it necessary to assess the attitudes and beliefs of women attending rural health facilities regarding cervical
cancer screening.
Methodology: A cross sectional design was employed for this study. This design enabled the researchers to collect data about
the attitudes and beliefs of women attending rural health facilities regarding cervical cancer screening at one point in time.
Thus the attitudes, regarding cervical cancer screening were appropriately assessed and the relationships among variables
determined.
Findings: Whilst about 1 in every 3 participants (n=203; 59.0%) disagreed that Papnicolaou (Pap) is painful, nearly 7 in every
10 participants disagreed that Pap smear is embarrassing and at the same time agreed that there is no need to worry about signs
and symptoms of cervical cancer. Furthermore, this study established a positive significant correlation between the belief that
cervical cancer can be diagnosed by Pap smear and ever heard about Pap smear (r=0.405; p<0.01).
Significance & Conclusion: Health education and promotion is, paramount in the Department of Health education, therefore
initiative of raising cervical cancer awareness among South African women is necessary.
Biography
Mudau Azwinndini Gladys is a Professional Nurse, a Midwife, Community Nurse, Nurse Educator, Primary Health Care Nurse, Nurse Manager, an Epidemiologist
and a Biostatistician. She has completed her honors from the University of Venda in 2011 and Master of Public Health from the University of Venda in 2014.
Mudau Azwinndini Gladys, Occup Med Health Aff 2017, 5:4 (Suppl)
DOI: 10.4172/2329-6879-C1-038