Journal of Innovative Clinical Trials and Case Reports

Abstract

Background: Cervical cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality among women in low- and middle-income countries. Despite growing theoretical awareness, actual screening uptake among young women in Nigeria remains suboptimal. This study assessed the level of knowledge and screening practices for cervical cancer among female students at the Taraba State College of Technology, Takum, Nigeria.

Methods: A facility-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 414 female students selected via a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 23. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and binary logistic regression were employed to determine associations and predictors of knowledge and screening uptake.

Results: The cohort was predominantly aged 18–22 years (76.1%), with 77.5% reporting sexual activity. While 85.5% demonstrated good overall knowledge (score ≥50%) and correctly identified HPV as the primary etiology (72.9%), significant misconceptions persisted regarding screening guidelines and procedural pain (63.5%). Crucially, actual screening uptake was critically low at 20.8%, despite a high expressed willingness to screen in the future (86.7%). Binary logistic regression revealed that receiving formal health education (aOR = 2.38, p = 0.004) and obtaining information from formal sources (aOR = 2.41, p = 0.002) significantly predicted good knowledge. For screening uptake, being sexually active (aOR = 2.14, p = 0.021), perceived susceptibility (aOR = 1.87, p = 0.026), and advice from a health professional (aOR = 2.63, p = 0.002) were positive predictors, whereas perceiving cost as a barrier significantly reduced the odds of screening (aOR = 0.58, p = 0.047).

Conclusion: A profound knowledge-practice gap exists among female students in this setting. High baseline awareness does not translate to screening uptake due to modifiable structural, systemic, and perceptual barriers. Effective interventions must transcend basic awareness campaigns to include subsidized on-campus screening, enhanced provider-patient counseling, and targeted myth-debunking to translate knowledge into life-saving preventive action.