Breast and cervical cancer screening among women at reproductive age in Cambodia: A Secondary Analysis of Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey 2022

Abstract

Breast and cervical cancers account for about one-third of all cancers worldwide, significantly contributing to maternal morbidity and mortality. We examined socio-demographic and behavioral factors associated with breast and cervical cancer screening among Cambodian women aged 15-49 years old. We analyzed women’s data from the 2022 Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey (CDHS) that used a two-stage stratified cluster sampling design to select the national representative samples. In total, 19,496 women were interviewed. Multivariable logistic regression was performed using STATA V17 to examine factors associated with breast and cervical cancer screening. The results show that the proportion screenings of cervical and breast cancers were 15.3% and 10.6% respectively. After being adjusted, factors independently associated with breast cancer screening included age group 20-29 years [AOR=2.51; 95% CI: 1.55-4.06], 30-39 years [AOR=4.34; 95% CI: 2.66-7.09], and 40-49 years [AOR=4.66; 95% CI: 2.81-7.71], higher education [AOR=1.92; 95% CI: 1.26-2.93], media access [AOR=1.66; 95% CI: 1.32-2.10], and rich wealth quintile [AOR=1.50; 95% CI: 1.25-1.80]. Similarly, the odds of having cervical cancer screening were age group 20-29 years [AOR=2.88; 95% CI: 1.76-4.71], 30-39 years [AOR=5.94; 95% CI: 3.58-9.83], and 40-49 years [AOR=7.61; 95% CI: 4.55-12.73], higher education [AOR=1.55; 95% CI: 1.55-2.73], media access [AOR=1.62; 95% CI: 1.35,1.95], and rich wealth quintile [AOR=2.14; 95% CI: 1.78-2.58]. In conclusion, this study shows the low screening proportion for both breast and cervical cancers; and it also highlights that socio-economic factors are significantly important in determining the health care seeking for these two main cancer screening services among women aged 15-49 years in Cambodia. Therefore, health education about main cancer screenings should be made better accessible to women in low socio-economic status.