Page 210 - GHES-3-1

Global Health Economics and
Sustainability
Cervical cancer screening in Maroua

Table 5. Cervical cancer practices and factors associated with and Faye et al. (2017) in Senegal, where the frequencies
screening of screening were 28.32% and 6.3%, respectively. This
disparity can be explained by contextual factors linked to
Explanatory Screened OR p‑value
variables Yes No (95% CI) geographical and economic accessibility to health services,
the effectiveness of awareness campaigns, sociocultural
(n=35) (n=341) barriers, and the organization of the health system,
Tobacco consumption which can vary considerably between these two West
No 34 341 1 African countries. Furthermore, the high rate of women
Yes 1 0 0.833 (0.09 – 5.77) 0.985 not participating in cervical cancer screening could be
Use of oral contraceptives attributed to cultural taboos, fear of stigmatization by
No 32 290 1 the community, cultural beliefs, and concerns about
discrimination or revealing details about their sex life. In
Yes 1 5 1.06 (0.33 – 2.84) 0.996 addition, the distance between their homes and the hospital
Sometimes 2 46 1.13 (0.16 – 4.49) 0.986 acted as a barrier for many women. However, women’s
Cervical cancer prevention practice participation in the screening test, although low, could be
Screening 10 2 65 (7.32 – 1634.20) 0.001** attributed to receiving advice from their gynecologists and
Abstinence and 1 13 1 attending awareness and education campaigns.
fidelity Multivariate analysis of factors associated with cervical
Condom 2 6 4.33 (0.34 – 104.72) 0.266 cancer screening showed that age group, age at screening,
None 22 320 0.89 (0.16 – 16.60) 0.915 frequency of screening, and age at first sexual intercourse
Sexually active were independent predictors of cervical cancer screening
No 2 21 1 at Maroua Regional Hospital. By age group, women aged
Yes 33 320 0.87 (0.35 – 2.40) 0.986 >45 years were more likely to have been screened. This
Age of first sexual intercourse result is consistent with those obtained by Guèye et al.
(2021) in Senegal and Tiruneh et al. (2017) in Kenya and
Not yet 2 21 1.13 (0.37 – 3.81) 0.986 differs from that obtained by Kabore (2020) in Burkina
Before 15 years 11 46 4.02 (1.44 – 12.3) 0.009** Faso. This result could be explained by the fact that women
Between 15 and 17 173 1.75 (0.7 – 4.96) 0.250 reaching this age were more aware of the risks of developing
20 years cervical cancer. At this age, most women were more likely to
After 20 years 101 1 participate in preventive health care such as cervical cancer
Abbreviations: OR: Odds ratio; CI: Confidence interval; P-value: screening, which coincided with important life transitions
Significance level; NA: Not applicable; * P<0.05; ** P<0.01; such as marriage, childbirth, or a period of professional
*** P<0.001. stability that could influence their health awareness and
commitment to preventive care. Indeed, older women
Hospital. The table shows that having an age ≥45 years are generally more aware of the importance of regular
(AOR = 3.47 [95% CI, 0.14 – 155]; p = 0.036), estimated screening, largely due to prevention campaigns targeting
that every woman should be screened at the age of 25 years this age group, which is considered more at risk. Moreover,
(AOR = 20.5 [95% CI, 5.74 – 41.5]; p = 0.0005) with a older women are often more familiar with the health-care
frequency of once a year (AOR = 3.29 [95% CI, 1.62 – system and more accustomed to consulting health-care
7.25]; p = 0.011), having screening as a preventive practice professionals regularly, which facilitates access to screening.
(AOR = 10.7 [95% CI, 1.39 – 135]; p = 0.018), and having However, the belief that every woman should be
had their first sexual intercourse before the age of 15 years screened at the age of 25 significantly increased the chance
(AOR = 10.7 [95% CI, 1.39 – 135]; p = 0.004) or between of having been screened. This result differs from that
the ages 15 and 20 years (AOR = 7.59 [95% CI, 4.33 – 31.9]; obtained by Antaon et al. (2021) in Brazzaville and can be
p = 0.009) significantly increased the chance of having explained by the fact that public health recommendations
been tested. and guidelines play an important role in raising awareness
4. Discussion and motivating women to undergo these preventive
medical examinations. Health professionals and health
The investigations revealed that 9.3% of women had authorities advocating a target age for screening create a
undergone cervical cancer screening at the Maroua collective awareness and greater incentive for women to
Regional Hospital, whereas 90.7% had never done so. This comply with these recommendations, resulting in higher
result differs from those obtained by Guèye et al. (2021) participation rates in cervical cancer screening programs.

Volume 3 Issue 1 (2025) 202 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.4080