Volume 11, Issue 3 (11-2026)
SJNMP 2026, 11(3): 229-239 |
Back to browse issues page
Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
Aslani A, Mahdavian M, Reyhani M, Hamidi Z. Women's Knowledge about Cervical Cancer, Risk Factors, and Prevention Strategies – A Cross-Sectional Study. , SJNMP. 2026; 11 (3) :229-239
URL: http://sjnmp.muk.ac.ir/article-1-698-en.html
URL: http://sjnmp.muk.ac.ir/article-1-698-en.html
1- Department of Midwifery, Boj.C., Islamic Azad University, Bojnord, Iran , akramaslani@iau.ac.ir
2- Department of Midwifery, Boj.C., Islamic Azad University, Bojnord, Iran
2- Department of Midwifery, Boj.C., Islamic Azad University, Bojnord, Iran
Abstract: (46 Views)
Background and Aims: Cervical cancer is a common malignancy among women worldwide and is one of the preventable cancers. This study aimed to determine women’s awareness of cervical cancer, its risk factors, and preventive strategies.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,114 women attending the specialized outpatient clinic of Samen Al-Aemeh Hospital in Bojnurd, Iran, during summer 2025. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire assessing demographic characteristics and awareness of cervical cancer. The obtained data were then analyzed using SPSS software (version 26), the Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Chi-square, Friedman, Wilcoxon with Bonferroni correction, and multinomial logistic regression tests. Statistical significance was set at 0.05.
Results: The mean age of participants was 33.1 years. The mean overall awareness score was 12.7±5.7, indicating a moderate level of awareness. The highest awareness was related to preventive measures and screening, while the lowest was related to initial recognition of cervical cancer. Only 15.1% of women had good awareness. Increasing age was associated with higher odds of moderate awareness (OR=1.395, 95% CI: 1.216–1.600, P<0.001) and good awareness (OR=1.307, 95% CI: 1.090–1.568, P=0.004). Education, household income, and place of residence were also significantly associated with awareness level.
Conclusion: Targeted educational programs and broad access to health information may improve women’s awareness and participation in cervical cancer prevention and screening.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,114 women attending the specialized outpatient clinic of Samen Al-Aemeh Hospital in Bojnurd, Iran, during summer 2025. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire assessing demographic characteristics and awareness of cervical cancer. The obtained data were then analyzed using SPSS software (version 26), the Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Chi-square, Friedman, Wilcoxon with Bonferroni correction, and multinomial logistic regression tests. Statistical significance was set at 0.05.
Results: The mean age of participants was 33.1 years. The mean overall awareness score was 12.7±5.7, indicating a moderate level of awareness. The highest awareness was related to preventive measures and screening, while the lowest was related to initial recognition of cervical cancer. Only 15.1% of women had good awareness. Increasing age was associated with higher odds of moderate awareness (OR=1.395, 95% CI: 1.216–1.600, P<0.001) and good awareness (OR=1.307, 95% CI: 1.090–1.568, P=0.004). Education, household income, and place of residence were also significantly associated with awareness level.
Conclusion: Targeted educational programs and broad access to health information may improve women’s awareness and participation in cervical cancer prevention and screening.
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2026/05/27 | Revised: 2026/11/14 | Accepted: 2026/09/30 | Published: 2026/11/11 | ePublished: 2026/11/11
Received: 2026/05/27 | Revised: 2026/11/14 | Accepted: 2026/09/30 | Published: 2026/11/11 | ePublished: 2026/11/11
References
1. World Health Organization. Cervical cancer [Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2026 Jul 3 [cited 2026 Sep 2]. [Link]
2. Salman AD, Ali SM, Lawes R. Cervical cancer prevention awareness among women attending primary health care centres in Baghdad City, Iraq. Discov Public Health. 2026;23(1):1239. [DOI: 10.1186/s12982-026-02586-7]
3. Aga SS, Yasmeen N, Khan MA. Cervical cancer and its screening: assessing the knowledge, awareness, and perception among health and allied students. Educ Res Int. 2022;2022:4608643. [DOI: 10.1155/2022/4608643]
4. Irakiza PM, Gashaija A, Muhammed S, Rubuga FK, Hagenimana JD, Nyabyenda EC, et al. Leveraging machine learning algorithms to assess the impact of cervical cancer early detection on patients' survival. Front Oncol. 2026;16:1880629. [DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2026.1880629]
5. Ghebreyesus TA. For the first time, the elimination of a cancer is within our reach [Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2024 Nov 18. [Link]
6. Berek JS, editor. Berek & Novak's gynecology. 17th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer; 2025. [Link]
7. Tomić SD, Ćorić A, Tomić S, Mujičić E, Malenković J, Šljivo A, et al. Cervical cancer prevention knowledge (CCKP-64) among female students in Novi Sad, Serbia during COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare (Basel). 2023;11(10):1400. [DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11101400]
8. Altunkurek ŞZ, Mohamed SH. Knowledge, awareness and behaviors of Somalian female university students regarding cervical cancer, HPV and the HPV vaccine: a cross-sectional study. Clin Exp Obstet Gynecol. 2024;51(2):41. [DOI: 10.31083/j.ceog5102041]
9. Ghosh S, Mallya SD, Pattanshetty SM, Pandey D, Kamath VG, Kabekkodu SP, et al. Awareness, attitude, and practice towards cancer cervix prevention among rural women in southern India: a community-based study. Clin Epidemiol Glob Health. 2024;26:101546. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cegh.2024.101546]
10. Siddique AB, Sultana C, Roy C, Rahman T, Hkatun MJ, Haider M, et al. Assessment of knowledge, attitudes, and practices concerning cervical cancer among women of early reproductive age in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study. Health Sci Rep. 2025;8(9):e71276. [DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.71276]
11. Raghavan V, Senapati J, Mulla M. Awareness on cervical cancer, its screening and HPV vaccination among women of reproductive age group (15-49 years) in a tertiary care centre in Maharashtra. Int J Reprod Contracept Obstet Gynecol. 2026;15(7):2586-2590. [DOI: 10.18203/2320-1770.ijrcog20262107]
12. Fathi PS, Sofian M, Almasi-Hashiani A, Larijani MS, Ashrafian F, Ramezani A. Insufficient knowledge of human papillomavirus among reproductive-aged women from Arak, Iran. BMC Womens Health. 2025;25(1):238. [DOI: 10.1186/s12905-025-03765-5]
13. Baradaran Binazir M, Ghotasloo L, Heidari F. Knowledge, attitude and practice of health workers toward cervical cancer screening. Depiction of Health. 2020;11(3):272-280. [DOI: 10.34172/doh.2020.34]
14. Zhang B, Wang S, Yang X, Chen M, Ren W, Bao Y, et al. Knowledge, willingness, uptake and barriers of cervical cancer screening services among Chinese adult females: a national cross-sectional survey based on a large e-commerce platform. BMC Womens Health. 2023;23(1):435. [DOI: 10.1186/s12905-023-02554-2]
15. Huang X, Ruan G, Sun P. Assessment of knowledge gaps in cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination among Chinese women: a comprehensive population-based study. Cancer Manag Res. 2025;17:267-279. [DOI: 10.2147/CMAR.S500946]
16. Endale S, Delelegn K, Negash Z. Knowledge, attitude, practices, and associated factors toward cervical cancer among female health sciences students of Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Ther Adv Vaccines Immunother. 2025;13:25151355251314733. [DOI: 10.1177/25151355251314733]
17. Dadipoor S, Alavi A, Kader Z, Kakhaki HES, Mohseni S, Shahabi N. Utilization of cervical cancer screening services and its associated factors in Iran: a case-control study. Infect Agent Cancer. 2023;18(1):17. [DOI: 10.1186/s13027-023-00496-w]
18. Aftab T, Khyzer E, Suhail N, Alanzy HA. Knowledge about cervical cancer and awareness about human papillomavirus vaccination among medical students at the Northern Border University, Arar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Cureus. 2024;16(5):e61313. [DOI: 10.7759/cureus.61313]
19. Waller J, Waite F, Marlow L. Awareness and knowledge about HPV and primary HPV screening among women in Great Britain: an online population-based survey. J Med Screen. 2024;31(2):91-98. [DOI: 10.1177/09691413231205965]
20. Kontonikou S, Kyrkou G, Bothou A, Nanou C, Vivilaki V, Deltsidou A. Investigation of women's knowledge and beliefs about cervical cancer and cervical smear examination: a survey study in Greece. Cureus. 2024;16(12):e75486. [DOI: 10.7759/cureus.75486]
21. Chepkorir J, Guillaume D, Lee J, Duroseau B, Xia Z, Wyche S, et al. The role of health information sources on cervical cancer literacy, knowledge, attitudes and screening practices in sub-Saharan African women: a systematic review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024;21(7):872. [DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21070872]
22. Mohammed Gebaba E, Aweke GT, Addissie A, Assefa M, Jemal A. Factors affecting cervical cancer knowledge among women in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a population-based study. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2025;5(7):e0004961. [DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0004961]
23. Yeşilfidan D, Özkan M, Adana F. Comparison of cervical cancer-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among women in urban and rural regions. BMC Public Health. 2025;25(1):2561. [DOI: 10.1186/s12889-025-24001-7]
24. Zhou X, Wu M, Zhou Y, Su F, He Y, Ding J, et al. Knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and information needs of women vaccinated with the HPV vaccine regarding cervical cancer prevention: a cross-sectional study. Front Public Health. 2025;13:1493589. [DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1493589]
25. Wojewoda B, Korman M, Kamzol W, Jaglarz-Biały K, Danielewicz I, Ziobro M, et al. Knowledge and awareness of cervical cancer and prevention measures among female students in Poland: a cross-sectional, decade-apart study. J Gynecol Oncol. 2025;36(2):e23. [DOI: 10.3802/jgo.2025.36.e23]
Send email to the article author
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
