Cervical Cancer-related Knowledge and Practice among Omani Women Attending a Family Medicine and Public Health Clinic

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes, and screening practices related to cervical cancer and Papanicolaou (Pap) smear testing among Omani women who were visitors to a family medicine and public health (FMPH) clinic. A secondary aim was to correlate the above with the subjects' sociodemographic characteristics.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out from February 2020 to April 2021 at the FMPH Clinic of Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat. A self-administered questionnaire assessed the participants' sociodemographic characteristics, cervical cancer-related risk factors, and their knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to cervical cancer, cervical cancer screening, and Pap smear testing.

RESULTS: The participants were 285 Omani women. The vast majority (256/285; 89.8%) had heard about cervical cancer and 208/285 (73.0%) about Pap smear testing. Only 32/285 (11.2%) and 179/285 (62.8%) demonstrated high levels of knowledge in the respective topics. Cervical cancer knowledge scores were associated with education level ( p =0.039), whether the qualification was related to healthcare ( p < 0.001), and the nature of employment ( p =0.033). Pap smear knowledge scores were also associated with age ( p =0.001), education level ( p < 0.001), whether the qualification was related to healthcare ( p < 0.001), the nature of employment ( p =0.001), and number of children ( p =0.001). Most women were aware of the availability of Pap smear testing in Oman (206/285; 72.3%) and 114/285 (40.0%) had previously undergone this test. Among those who had never undertaken Pap smear testing (171/285; 60.0%), many were willing to do so in the future (103/171; 60.2%).

CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide an increased understanding of Omani women's level of perceptions, attitudes, and screening practices related to cervical cancer. These findings will help develop strategies to improve Omani women's knowledge of cervical cancer symptoms and screening facilities and promote optimum utilization of the available screening services.

KEYWORDS: Cervical Cancer; Papanicolaou Test; Cancer Screening; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Human Papilloma Virus; Oman.