Correlates of Cervical Cancer among Screened Women at Kitwe Central Hospital

Abstract

Background: Cervical cancer kills more women than any other cancer in Africa. The burden of cervical cancer in Zambia is among the highest in Sub  Saharan Africa. The government of Zambia is in a continuous fight to curb the higher levels of cervical cancer. This project aimed at determining the correlates of cervical cancer.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at Kitwe teaching hospital in Kitwe, Zambia. A total of 2489 cases which were screened using Visual Inspection with Acetic acid between 13th June, 2013 and 28th June 2018 were extracted and analysed. Univariate, bivariate and multivariate analysis were conducted to ascertain any correlation between the dependent variables and independent variables.
Results: This study showed that there is significant correlation between cervical cancer and HIV status, Education levels and age range of the  candidate. Women with an HIV negative status had lower odds (0.486, CI; 95%) of having cervical cancer compared to HIV positive women. Further, low levels of education was associated with increased risks of having cervical cancer. Women who were below 30 years had reduced risk of developing cervical cancer as compared to women older than 30 years (OR: 0.528, Cl 95%).
Conclusion: Cervical cancer shows significant correlation between HIV status, Education levels and the age range an individual falls into. Thus policies formulated in the fight against cervical cancer must consider these correlates to improve mortality and incidence rates.