Evaluation of an Educational Program Regarding Cancer Cervix for Health Care Workers in Family Health Facilities

Hamdy Alkalash, Safa; Ali Al-Kilany, Osama; Yahia Shams El-Deen, Aml

doi:10.21608/efmj.2020.90198

Evaluation of an Educational Program Regarding Cancer Cervix for Health Care Workers in Family Health Facilities

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Family Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine – Menoufia University, Egypt.

² Gynecology and Obstetrics Department, Faculty of Medicine - Menoufia University, Egypt.

³ Family Physician, Ministry of Health, Egypt.

10.21608/efmj.2020.90198

Abstract

Background: Cervical cancer is second most common women cancer in the world. Screening can reduce incidence and mortality by 80%. Poor knowledge and negative attitude towards cervical cancer screening methods among health care workers can pose substantial barriers to cervical cancer control program in Egypt and developing countries. Objective: was to evaluate the effect of an educational program on knowledge and attitude of health care workers regarding cervical cancer and its screening.
Methods: An intervention study (by application of an educational program) was conducted for 333 health care workers in family health facilities in Al Mahalla Al Kobra district, Gharbiya governorate in 2018. An informed written consent was obtained from each participant and a structured questionnaire which included three parts was applied to assess general characteristics of HCWs, knowledge and attitude about cervical cancer. In addition, a health education program was conducted for improving their knowledge and attitude. Post-test was conducted after 3 months for them. Results: About 45% of HCWs aged between 30-39 years old with mean ±SD (38.51±8.6) there was a highly significant difference between HCWs knowledge and attitude pre and post-intervention by the educational program, whereas, 20.1% of them had a good knowledge score pre-intervention improved to be 43.5% post-intervention. Also there was significant improvement in their attitude, as positive attitude pre-intervention was 40.2 % increased to be 94.3% post-intervention.
Conclusion: The present study revealed that applied educational program regarding cancer cervix was successful in enhancing knowledge & improving attitude of HCWs regarding cervical cancer and its screening.

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