1 Gelassa FR, et al. BMJ Open 2023;13:e068860. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2022-068860 Open access Knowledge and practice of cervical cancer screening and its associated factors among women attending maternal health services at public health institutions in Assosa Zone, Benishangul-Gumuz, Northwest Ethiopia, 2022: a cross-sectional study Firaol Regea Gelassa , 1 Shalama Lekasa Nagari , 2 Desalegn Emana Jebena , 1 Dabeli Belgafo, 1 Daniel Teso, 1 Debela Teshome 1 To cite: Gelassa FR, Nagari SL, Jebena DE, et al. Knowledge and practice of cervical cancer screening and its associated factors among women attending maternal health services at public health institutions in Assosa Zone, Benishangul-Gumuz, Northwest Ethiopia, 2022: a cross- sectional study. BMJ Open 2023;13:e068860. doi:10.1136/ bmjopen-2022-068860 ► Prepublication history for this paper is available online. To view these fles, please visit the journal online (http://dx.doi. org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022- 068860). Received 02 October 2022 Accepted 11 April 2023 1 Nursing, Assosa University, Assosa, Benishangul-Gumuz, Ethiopia 2 Public Health, Assosa University, Assosa, Benishangul- Gumuz, Ethiopia Correspondence to Mr Firaol Regea Gelassa; fraol.regea24.fr@gmail.com Original research © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ. ABSTRACT Background Cervical cancer ranks as the second most frequent cancer among all women in Ethiopia and the second most frequent cancer among women between 15 and 44 years of age, resulting in over 4884 moralities annually. Although there is a focus on health promotion through teaching and screening in Ethiopia’s intended transition toward universal healthcare, there is little information available on baseline levels of knowledge and screening uptake related to cervical cancer. Objectives This study explored the levels of knowledge and screening rates of cervical cancer along with its associated factors among women of reproductive age in Assosa Zone, Benishangul-Gumuz, Ethiopia in 2022. Methodology A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted. A systematic sampling technique was used to select 213 reproductive-age women from selected health institutions, from 20 April 2022 to 20 July 2022. A validated and pretested questionnaire was used for data collection. Multi-logistic regression analyses were done to identify factors independently associated with cervical cancer screening. Adjusted OR with 95% CI was estimated to measure the strength of association. The level of statistical signifcance was declared at a p value of <0.05. The results were presented in tables and fgures. Result Knowledge of cervical cancer screening in this study was 53.5%, and 36% of respondents had practised cervical cancer screening. Family history of cervical cancer (AOR)=2.5, 95% CI (1.04 to 6.44)), place of residence (AOR=3.68, 95% CI (2.23, 6.54)) and availability of health services at nearby (AOR=2.03, 95% CI (1.134, 3.643)) were signifcantly associated with knowledge of cervical cancer screening, while educational status (AOR=2.811, 95% CI (1.038 to 7.610)), knowing someone diagnosed with cervical cancer (AOR=8.3, 95% CI (2.4, 28.69)), Knowledge of cervical cancer(AOR=2.17, 95%CI(1.077, 4.384) and feeling feeling at risk (AOR=3.26 95% CI (1.52, 5.04)) were associated with the practice of cervical cancer screening. Conclusion and recommendation Knowledge and practice of cervical cancer screening in this study were low. Therefore, the reproductive women must be encouraged to have early cervical cancer screening at precancerous stage by informing their susceptibility to cervical cancer. INTRODUCTION Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that occurs in the cells of the cervix, the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina. 1 The major risk factor for cervical cancer is the infection with human papillomavirus (HPV). Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women. 2 In 2020, about 604 000 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer worldwide and about 342 000 women died from the disease. 3 About 85% of the cases and 90% of the deaths are occurring in low-income countries. 3 4 Cervical cancer accounts for 22% of all female cancers and STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS OF THIS STUDY ⇒ The study was unique, as it comprehensively exam- ined the health factors associated with knowledge and practice of cervical cancer screening in the Benishangul- Gumuz region. ⇒ The results are generalizable to women of reproduc- tive aged living in the Assosa Zone. ⇒ Because of the nature of the study (cross-sectional study design), inferring the causality was not possible. ⇒ Self-reported data (eg, previous human papillomavi- rus screening and vaccination) might have incurred recall bias. on November 30, 2023 by guest. Protected by copyright. http://bmjopen.bmj.com/ BMJ Open: first published as 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-068860 on 15 May 2023. Downloaded from