Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer (CC) is the number one leading cause of death among women in Malawi. However, it is generally viewed as preventable and treatable if diagnosed in an early stage. Despite the burden, Malawi registers low uptake of cervical cancer screening (CCS). This study examined the socio-demographic determinants of CCS uptake among women of child-bearing age (WCBA) in Mangochi district. METHODS: A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted in five health facilities. A total of 482 women between the ages of 18-49 participated and were sampled using a multi-stage sampling method. An interviewer administered structured questionnaire was used to collect data from June to July, 2019. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify determinants of CCS uptake among WCBA. RESULTS: Few respondents (13.1%) had ever done CCS. Compared to respondents in the age-group of 18-24 years, those in the age-groups of 25-35 years and 36-49 years were 2.63 and 3.90 times more likely to undergo CCS (AOR = 2.63, 95% CI 1.30-5.31 and AOR = 3.90, 95% CI 1.62-9.38), respectively. Respondents who practiced Christianity were 2.77 times more likely to undergo CCS than those who practiced Islam (AOR = 2.77, 95% CI 1.23-6.22). Respondents of the Chewa ethnic group were 71% less likely to undergo CCS as compared to those of Yao ethnicity (AOR = 0.29, 95% CI 0.09-0.95). Respondents who lived in semi-urban areas were 2.57 times more likely to go for CCS than those who were village residents (AOR = 2.57, 95% CI 1.19-5.55). CONCLUSION: Our study showed that CCS uptake was low in Mangochi and the results suggested that age, religion, ethnicity and place of residence were determinants of CCS uptake. We recommend that comprehensive health education on CC should specifically target the young women and Muslim women in places where they meet. We call upon the district health authorities to scale up CCS provision in all Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) and outreach clinics to improve CCS uptake among women residing in the villages and those of the Chewa ethnicity. We, further, call upon all CC program implementers to design programs that address the highlighted socio-demographic determinants of CCS uptake among WCBA in the district.