| dc.description.abstract | This study aimed to determine the level of knowledge about Pap smear, attitude towards Pap smear and compliance with Pap smear among female faculty members of Central Philippine University, Iloilo City.
Specifically, the study aimed to determine the characteristics of the respondents in terms of age, civil status, number of children ever born and family planning practice used. It also aimed to determine the respondents’ knowledge about Pap smear, their attitude towards Pap smear and their compliance with Pap smear. Furthermore, this study aimed to determine whether the respondents’ characteristics are significantly related with their knowledge about Pap smear, their attitude towards Pap smear and compliance with Pap smear, whether knowledge about Pap smear is significantly related with compliance to Pap smear, and whether attitude towards Pap smear is significantly related to with compliance with Pap smear. Lastly, this study aimed to determine whether respondents’ knowledge about Pap smear is significantly related with their compliance with Pap smear when attitude is controlled.
This is a descriptive-relational type of study that used a one-shot survey design. The target population consisted of female faculty members with ages forty and above of Central Philippine University, Iloilo City. The female staff members were not included in the study. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the needed data for the study. To gather the needed data for the investigation, a researcher made data gathering instrument was used based on questions adopted from the following studies: “Attitudes Towards Cervical Cancer Screening: A Study of Beliefs Among Women in Mexico” (Leyva et al, 2006); “Knowledge, Attitude and Compliance to Pap smear Among WRA Women of Selected Barangays in Iloilo City by Manila, J. (2000). Frequency distribution and means were used for descriptive analysis. To determine the extent of relationship between variables, the Pearson r, partial Gamma and Chi-square (x 2) test were used.
Summary of Major Findings
The majority of the respondents are married, with almost fifty percent of them have ages between 50-59 years old and majority of them have children 3 and below. More than 75 percent of them had three children and below. Almost fifty percent of the respondents have accepted the temporary method of family planning.
A little more than fifty percent of the respondents had “average” level of knowledge about Pap smear. Only a small percentage of the respondents had “low” level of knowledge about Pap smear.
Almost all of the respondents had positive attitude towards Pap smear. It is however quite frustrating to note that not all respondents have complied with Pap smear.
Respondents’ age, civil status and number of children ever born have significant relationship with their knowledge about Pap smear.
Civil status and number of children ever born have significant relationship with the respondents’ attitude towards Pap smear and their compliance with Pap smear.
There is a significant relationship between the respondents’ knowledge about Pap smear and their attitude towards Pap smear. As the respondents’ knowledge about Pap smear increases, their attitude towards Pap smear becomes positive.
Knowledge about Pap smear had no significant relationship with the respondents’ compliance to Pap smear. In this study, however knowledgeable the respondents are about Pap smear, it did not follow that they will be compliant to Pap smear.
Respondents’ attitude towards Pap smear had significant relationship with their compliance with Pap smear.
Conclusion
The results indicate that knowledge about Pap smear has a significant relationship with the respondents’ age, civil status and number of children ever born, while the method of family planning practice is not significant. A little more than fifty percent of the respondents have average level of knowledge about Pap smear, while almost fifty percent of the respondents have high level of knowledge about Pap smear. Only a small percent of the respondents has low level of knowledge about Pap smear. Civil status is a factor that can significantly influence one’s knowledge about Pap smear. Being married could enhance one’s knowledge about Pap smear.
The respondents’ civil status and number of children ever born have significant relationship with their attitude towards Pap smear and their compliance to Pap smear. Findings further show that age and method of family planning practice are not significantly related with the respondents’ attitude towards Pap smear.
Respondents’ level of knowledge about Pap smear is significantly related with their attitude towards Pap smear. This findings confirmed the study of Arevias et al (ret. February 2008) that 88. 4 percent of the female members of ARC in Lebanon with very good levels of knowledge had favorable attitude towards Pap smear.
Nevertheless, the respondents’ level of knowledge about Pap smear has no significant relationship with their compliance with Pap smear.
On the other hand, the respondents’ attitude towards Pap smear is significantly related with their compliance to Pap smear.
When attitude towards Pap smear was controlled, respondents’ knowledge about Pap smear was significantly related with their compliance to Pap smear.
Recommendations
Considering the significant findings and conclusions derived from the study, the following recommendations and policy implementations are presented.
1. Extra effort should be done to increase the respondents’ knowledge about the importance of Pap smear, its risks and benefits. The strategy could be vary from the conduct of seminars, symposia, lectures, or group discussions, experiential learning, film showing or inviting resource person considered an authority in human reproductive health (specifically with regards to Pap smear), so that the faculty can be reminded of the need to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Continuous education and information sharing for respondents’ age group and service information providers: the significant others (parents, husbands, children), colleagues, communities, church, health staff, media and NGOs on adult health concerns and an intensified and responsive counseling services shall be done. Educational programmes need to tailor some of their messages to suit the needs of those who were already compliant to Pap smear and those who were not.
Develop high quality professional and public education programs to inform about current trends and access. Develop and engage constituents to further the education process ( constituents include women with cervical cancer and HPV diseases and their families, professionals, the public health care institutions, public policy makers and the media).
Nurse educators and guidance counselors should be trained to deal with topics in human sexuality, specifically the importance of Pap smear, for which many of them are not comfortable with. Their attendance to training, seminars, and workshops concerning reproductive health among female adults- their problems, attitude, and behavior/practice is highly recommended. The school administrators are encouraged to include Pap smear in the yearly physical examination required by the institution to monitor the reproductive health of its female employees.
2. Since majority of the respondents have positive attitude towards Pap smear, this would become a plus factor in encouraging the faculty to include Pap smear as a normal or routine part of their health maintenance.
3. Health care providers should develop a positive and welcoming attitude to women who still might have some doubts about the importance and significance of Pap smear. Health care providers should also be an advocate for patients’ access to quality care and regular testing and vaccination to prevent cervical cancer/ HPV cancers, thus the introduction of Pap smear.
4. Program planners should involve the women in the design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of activities and programs to ensure that it is acceptable, appealing and relevant to them. Maintenance of an on-going support system for women, family members and friends facing issues related to cervical cancer, HPV and other HPV cancers.
5. Since this study covered only certain selected characteristics of the respondents, future researchers may consider other characteristics not covered by this study.
6. Identification of constituent/membership needs and programmatic gaps to guide organizational development and fund-raising.
7. Develop organizational partnership to further mission and goals of preventing cervical cancer (GABRIELA and other nationally recognized pro-women organizations).
8. If possible, an annual conference should be held by pro- women organizations for women battling cervical cancer and HPV diseases. | en_US |
