Knowledge and Awareness of Cervical Cancer Risk Factors among Educated Youth: A Cross Sectional, e-Questionnaire Based Survey among the College Students of Jammu City

Abstract

Cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality among women in India, and India has the largest burden of cervical cancer patients in the world. One out of every five women suffering from this disease belongs to India. The objective of this study was to assess knowledge and awareness of cervical cancer risk factors among college going female students of Jammu University and to study about their behavior regarding prevention and screening of cervical carcinoma. A descriptive self-administered, e-questionnaire was employed for data collection. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics. Two hundred and fifty two female students (n = 252) between the age group 17 and 25 years participated with a response rate of 100%. Majority of students (81.7%) were aware of the term cervical cancer. However, only 68 (26.9%) thought that they could suffer from it as they had the perception that it affects married women or elderly only. Assessment of knowledge regarding the risk factors of cervical cancer revealed that only 99 (39.2%) knew that it is transmitted through sexual contact. With regard to attitude of the students towards cervical cancer, around 157 (62.3%) knew that regular screening leads to early diagnosis of the cancer. This study highlights unawareness of various aspects of cervical cancer among educated young women in Jammu city and the critical need for sustained continuing educational interventions to emphasize the importance and awareness of cervical cancer.