Barriers and Socio-Demographic Factors Associated with Preventive Cervical Cancer Screening among Women Attending Tertiary Health Facilities in Northwestern Nigeria

Abstract

Cervical cancer is preventable, yet screening remains underused in many low- and middle-income settings. Women may delay screening because of inaccurate beliefs about the procedure, financial barriers, concerns about privacy and pain, and limited access to reliable information. This study examined perceived barriers and selected socio-demographic differences among women attending tertiary health facilities in Jigawa, Kaduna and Katsina States, northwestern Nigeria. A facility-based cross-sectional survey was reported in the source manuscript. Of 711 women approached or considered eligible, 619 completed questionnaires, giving a response rate of 87.1%. The researchers used a structured questionnaire with socio-demographic items and 11 perceived-barrier items. Descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were reported. The available manuscript did not provide the full questionnaire, a documented reliability estimate, or complete post-hoc comparisons. The highest reported barrier mean was the belief that screening could cause a sexually transmitted infection (M = 3.32, SD = 1.44), followed by poverty (M = 2.91, SD = 1.56), concerns about unsterilized equipment (M = 2.57, SD = 1.24), weak health-promotion policy (M = 2.52, SD = 1.12), and bleeding after screening (M = 2.51, SD = 1.07). Mean overall barrier scores differed by state, F (2, 616) = 34.25, p < .001; Katsina had the highest reported mean (M = 28.85). Differences were also reported by educational level, F (3, 615) = 13.86, p < .001, and age group, F(3, 615) = 2.93, p = .033. The findings point to a combination of misinformation, cost concerns and health-service trust issues. Facility-based education, respectful and confidential services, clear explanation of screening procedures, and lower-cost access may help address these concerns.