Cervical Cancer Screening among Female Refugees in Jordan: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Cervical cancer (CC) is mainly linked to infection with a high-risk oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV), with 85% of deaths occurring in developing countries. Refugees are less likely to be aware of screening methods and to have routine gynecological examinations. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study involving a total of 359 women aged 19–64 living in the Jerash camp in Jordan. Data were collected using a carefully developed and validated questionnaire. Results: A total of 359 participants were included in the study, with a mean age of 38.99 ± 10.53. Participants demonstrated fair knowledge of CC risk factors (4.77 ± 2.85 out of 11). Among the participants, 73.5% had heard of the cervical smear test; however, only 12.8% had actually undergone the test, with a mean total number of smear tests performed of 1.48 ± 0.79 and the mean age at the time of the first test was 32.5 ± 7.89. Conclusions: Refugee women have a fair level of knowledge of CC risk factors but are unmotivated to have a Pap smear test to screen for CC. Efforts should be made to raise awareness about the issue and promote testing for underrepresented women in refugee camps.

Review Of Cross-Sectional Study About Knowledge And Attitude Towards Cervical Cancer Screening Among Female Refugees: Jordan

“…The awareness or knowledge of CC was increased through social media, government clinics, and family or friends. There was an association between increased knowledge about CC and living people in a sub-urban area, certain occupations, higher educational levels, and monthly household incomes [26] and [28]. There was no linkage between knowledge and personal characteristics like family income, age, and smoking based on the study of female students.…”

“…Further review was obtained of the full texts of 50 citations and 41 studies were not included owing to the reasons mentioned in the above Figure 4. Therefore, this scoping review included a total of 9 articles [26], [27], [28], [29], [30], [31], [32], [33], and [34]. All studies were published between 2003 and 2023, out of which 50% of studies were within the last five years.…”

“…The selected studies of the nine papers related to the knowledge and attitudes of females concerning CC were investigated. The female refugees with 18.4% had heard about cervical cancer [26]. The highest percentage for improved uptake of cervical cancer took place among 359 participants who were recruited for an intervention study of the community.…”

“…[34]. The studies found that female refuges were aware of the symptoms and warning signs of CC, out of them 97% of participants believed that CC is a severe disease [26]. The awareness or knowledge of CC was increased through social media, government clinics, and family or friends.…”

Investment in Cancer Prevention and Care for Forcibly Displaced Syrians Is an Urgent Priority

“…Promoting healthy behaviors now could reduce cancer mortality through earlier diagnosis, financial burdens, social stigmatization, and poor quality of life down the road, reducing the burden on the individual and on the health system. Forcibly displaced women who may be at particularly at risk for breast and cervical cancer mortality because of diagnostics delays 36 stand to benefit the most from a renewed focus on and funding for cancer prevention. Thus, it is imperative that international and local organizations serving these women implement new cancer prevention programs appropriate to their contexts.…”