Abstract

HUAMANI, Charles, HURTADO-ORTEGA, Ana, GUARDIA-RICRA, Manuel et al. Knowledge and attitudes about papanicolaou smear in women from Lima, Perú 2007. Rev. perú. med. exp. salud publica, Jan./mar 2008, vol.25, no.1, p.44-50. ISSN 1726-4634.

Objectives. To determine the level of knowledge and attitudes about Papanicolao (PAP) smear and associated factors in fertile women from Lima, Peru. Material and methods. Cross sectional survey, was a cluster sampling using a questionnaire validated by expert opinion, which was 22 items, 6 multiple choice questions, 9 open and 7 Likert scale. Was found low knowledge and negative or indifferent attitude using multiple logistic regression. Results. Included 502 women, with an average age of 27 ± 8 years. 15% started having sex before 15 years and 14% had three or more sexual partners. The prevalence of a low level of knowledge on the PAP smear was 24.9% (CI95: 21.0-28.7%), which was associated with a lower education level (ORa: 3.1; CI95: 1.0-4.1) and a history of inadequate PAP (ORa: 2.8, 95CI: 1.6-4.9). The prevalence of a negative or indifferent attitude toward the taking of the PAP was 18.7% (CI95: 15.2-22.2%), which was associated with low knowledge of the PAP (ORa: 9.0; 95CI: 3.1-26.8), as well as a lower educational level (ORa: 3.2; 95CI: 1.3-7.9), inadequate history of PAP (ORa: 2.0; 95CI: 1.1-3.6) and having had more than two sexual partners (ORa: 2.6, 95CI:1.3-5.3).Conclusions. A lower educational level and inadequate history of PAP were associated with poor knowledge and negative attitude towards PAP smears in women from Lima.

Keywords: Uterine cervical cancer; Papanicolaou smear; Health knowledge and attitudes.