Original Research Articles
Assessing the Disconnect Between Cervical Cancer Knowledge and Perceived Willingness of Screening among Health Science Students in a Nigerian University
- Authors
- Abstract
-
Background: Cervical cancer remains a major public health concern in Nigeria despite being largely preventable through human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and regular cervical screening. Healthcare-related students are expected to possess adequate knowledge that may influence preventive health behaviors. This study assessed the knowledge and perceived willingness toward cervical cancer screening and prevention among female students in the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Delta State University, Abraka.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 180 female students selected from five departments within the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences. Data were collected using a validated structured questionnaire (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.86). Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed using SPSS version 25, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05.
Results: The majority of respondents demonstrated good knowledge of cervical cancer and its screening methods (97.3%). However, perceived willingness toward cervical cancer screening was suboptimal, with only 37.2% agreeing that screening is necessary for all female students. Important misconceptions were identified, as 69.4% believed that screening does not prevent cervical cancer, while 53.9% perceived that women in monogamous relationships do not require screening. There was no statistically significant association between knowledge level and perceived willingness toward cervical cancer screening (χ², p = 0.913).
Conclusion: Although knowledge of cervical cancer screening was high among respondents, this did not translate into a positive perception of the need for screening. Persistent misconceptions regarding screening efficacy and perceived risk among women in monogamous relationships may hinder uptake of preventive services. Targeted health promotion interventions addressing psychosocial barriers and misconceptions are recommended to improve cervical cancer screening acceptance among female university students.
- Author Biographies
- References
- Cover Image
-
- Downloads
- Published
- 10-07-2026
- Section
- Original Research Articles
-
Give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the journal.
-
Provide a link to the license.
-
Indicate if changes were made.
-
Distribute their contributions under the same license as the original.
-
Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
-
Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material.
-
Attribution required — must credit author(s) and journal.
-
NonCommercial — no commercial use permitted.
-
ShareAlike — derivative works must use the same license.
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2026 Emerging Frontiers in Translational Biomedicine and Health Sciences
All content published in Emerging Frontiers in Translational Biomedicine and Health Sciences (EFTBHS) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).
This license allows others to remix, adapt, and build upon the work non-commercially, as long as they:
Under this license, users may not use the material for commercial purposes.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication. Authors may enter into separate, non-exclusive agreements for non-commercial distribution (e.g., in institutional repositories or course materials) with acknowledgment of the initial publication in EFTBHS.
For details, visit the official Creative Commons page:
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Summary of permissions under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0: