Identifying Barriers to Cervical Cancer Screening in Rural Women

Problem Statement & Purpose: Cervical cancer screening rates for a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in rural Northern Arizona is 78%, which is below the Healthy People 2030 goal of 84.3%. Identification of socioeconomic barriers unique to rural women through the use of an intake survey can improve cervical cancer screening rates. This project was guided by the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). SCT proposes that behavioral change is determined by environmental, social, personal, and behavioral elements. Methods: At a one-day well-woman event called, “See, Test, and Treat” hosted by the FQHC, an anonymous intake survey was implemented that identified participant demographics, basic cervical cancer knowledge, and perceived socioeconomic barriers to routine cervical cancer screening. Participants were recruited through the FQHC. Participant inclusion criteria: Arizona resident, uninsured, underinsured, 21-65 years old, English or Spanish speaking. Results: Descriptive statistics were utilized to evaluate the survey responses, reliability, and validity of responses unknown due to self-reported responses. A total of 18 surveys were completed with a final yield of (n = 10). Surveys didn’t identify barriers to routine cervical cancer screening; however, an unawareness of cervical cancer risk factors including multiple sexual partners (n = 5, 50.00%), sex at an early age (n = 4, 40.00%), and misperception that cervical cancer is genetic (n = 7, 70.00%) was identified. Implications for Practice: A need for cervical cancer education exists within the surveyed community. Providing rural women with knowledge regarding cervical cancer can improve screening rates.