Effect of Educational Program on Saudi, Women’ Knowledge, Attitude Regarding Cervical Cancer and Early Detection by Pap Test

Background: Cancer is increasingly becoming the disease of the century, especially cervical cancer that is now the second most common Gynecologic malignant tumor worldwide after breast cancer to cause death among the female population. Methods: This was a quasi experimental study (pretest and post test for the two group) aimed to evaluate the effect of an educational program on women' knowledge, attitude and practice regarding cervical cancer and early detection by pap test. Duration of the study: This study was carried out from July to December 2006. Setting: The study was conducted in family medicine at King Faisal specialist hospital and centers Saudi Arabia. Study Sample: The study sample was composed of 210 which was Total coverage was used, The researcher choose a purposeful, convenient sample of Saudi women between the ages of 15-65 years resident in Riyadh, according to eligibility for examination in the Family Medicine Department where the research took place, during July and December 2006, and who voluntary accepts to participate. Data Collection: Meanly by a structure self administrative questionnaire, after the base line knowledge, training program was conducted then same questionnaire was filled. Questionnaire was contained two parts: Part one demographic data part two regarding PaP test knowledge. The data obtained from the questionnaire (basic information and knowledge evaluation) were entered into the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, (SPSS) version 16) program using the Independent sample t-test to determine whether there is a significant difference at the level 0.05 in the categories listed in the questionnaire. Descriptive statistics (mean, Standard deviation, percentage) was used to describe the study samples and variables. And knowledge scores before and after the educational intervention at p-value <0.05. Results: The study results showed poor knowledge regarding pap test 88% of women, in both control and study group in base line survey, were statistical significant improvement of knowledge among the study group, regarding the cervical cancer, Important of screening for detection of cervical cancer , the relation between the Pap test and early detection of cancer. Compare to the control group, there was improvement among the intervention group on practicing Pap test rate from (45% to 70%) after the correction the wrong concept and belief addressed by the study during health educational program. An educational program improves patients'knowledge and attitude regarding cervical screening and its early detection of cervical cancer. The mean knowledge scores improved from 1.73 ± 1.17 to 3.41 ± 1.07 after 3 months which significantly different (P = 0.000 < 0.05). Discussion: The NHS (National Health Services) Cervical Screening Programme (2001) excluded women under the age of 25 years justifying the reason that the invasive cancer is extremely rare. Although In 1976-1996, a study was carried out which analysed 348,419 women in Bristol. The outcome for every 10,000 women screened aged 20-64; 1564 were found to have abnormal cytology; 818 underwent further biopsy. So we were determent to have our respondent, in the age group 25-64. The knowledge deficits regarding if Pap smear is important, the control population think that Pap smear is not important according to the study by (Julian Peto et al 2004) and (Manjiet al., 1999) stated that once the disease identified by cytology, (Pap smear) simple therapeutic procedure and continuing surveillance could be used to prevent further progress to invasive cancer. Conclusion: The result of present study revealed that the health educational program was effective on the Pap test. Also; this study proves that educational program can play an important role in educating women, towards Pap test practice and attitude.