Impact of Health Education Intervention on Uptake of Random Screening for Cervical & Breast Cancers among Rural Women in Villages of Gurgaon Cluster, Haryana, India
Journal Title: Journal of Medical Science And clinical Research - Year 2016, Vol 4, Issue 12
Abstract
Disease awareness and socio-cultural practices together influence the treatment-seeking behavior of rural women as well as their uptake for preventive screening of breast and cervical cancers. This study was carried out to assess the awareness and knowledge of rural women about cervical and breast cancers and their attitude and uptake for primary screening of these cancers in villages of Gurgaon, randomly selected by our financial partner, DLF Foundation, Gurgaon. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 603 women, aged 21-65 years, who attended the awareness and screening camps on women’s cancers where random primary screening for breast and cervical cancers was done. Out of 603 women who participated in different camps held at various villages of Gurgaon, during 2014-2016, a volunteer sample comprising 235 women (39%) were screened for cervical and breast cancers. Further, 365 women (61%) were taught how to conduct self-breast examination. There were 88 cases (37.44%) out of 235 screened who were found to have genital infections for which they were given free medicines. Out of 235 screened women, 99 were suspected (42%) to have abnormalities in cervix or breast and were recommended for advanced tests (46 women for Pap smear test, 33 women for USG Abdomen and 20 cases for Mammography) for disease confirmation and guidance for proper treatment. Only 38 cases, however, adhered to the follow-up schedule. Specially designed, easy-tounderstand leaflets (in Hindi) on the four women’s cancers (Endometrial Cancer, Breast Cancer, Ovarian Cancer and Cervical Cancer) were distributed to all participating women. The main finding was that rural women had poor knowledge about cervical and breast cancer screening and there was complete lack of awareness regarding the symptoms, risk factors and preventive screening of these cancers. Effective education and large-scale primary screening are necessary for alleviating the burden of cervical and breast cancers in India. It came to light that low family income and lack of transport contribute to women’s inability to reach health centres when faced with distressing symptoms of these cancers. The study concluded that cancer awareness programmes along with on-site primary screening of cervical and breast cancers, using simple, cost-effective techniques, would significantly benefit rural women as a majority of them never get a preventive screening done for these cancers.
Authors and Affiliations
P. Cheena Chawla
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP210020
- DOI -
- Views 72
- Downloads 0
Role of F-18 Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography in Staging of Colorectal Carcinoma
Colorectal cancer shows an increasing trend in the incidence in Asian country like India.Complex clinical decisions for management of such patients depends on early diagnosis and correct clinical staging imaging findings...
Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukaemia in a Young Child– A Case Report
Juvenile myelomonocytic leukaemia (JMML) is a unique paediatric disorders previously referred to as Juvenile Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. It is a clonal haematopoetic disorders of children that is characterized by prolifera...
Arneth Count In Different Phases of Menstrual Cycle in the Age Group 18- 22 Yrs
Background & Objectives: Blood leukocyte count and differential count varies from individual to individual and diurnal changes are noted in various studies. In present study we are investigating the effect of cyclic chan...
A cross-sectional study is conducted on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) for identify demographic characteristics and symptoms of epilepsy related headache
Introduction: Epilepsy and primary headache disorders affect individuals of all ages worldwide. Headache and epilepsy are two relatively common neurological disorders and their association is still a matter of debate. Ob...
Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) is the Excellent Diagnostic Procedures for Thyroid Lumps
Objective: The present study was undertaken to evaluate the efficiency and prospect of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of thyroid swelling. Materials and Methods: A total of 74 patients in between 15 to 65 years o...