| dc.description.abstract | Background: Cervical cancer is a major preventable cancers. The, current study aimed to assess relevant knowledge
and attitude of female students and hospital staff in Iran. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Medical
and Nursing faculties and hospitals of East-Azerbaijan Province of Iran. Participants were medical and paramedical
female students and female staff in hospitals selected by stratified random sampling techniques. Tools for data collection
were questionnaires for which validity and reliability had been verified (?=0.8). Descriptive and inferential statistics
were used to analyze data with SPSS.16. Result: Response rates were 71 % (426 from 600) and 63.5% (254 from
400) for students and staff, respectively. Some 29.1% admitted that they had no information about cervical cancer,
only 70 (10.3%) thinking their knowledge as high, 360 (52.9%) as intermediate, and 237 (34.9%) as low. While 93%
of participants considered cervical cancer as a severe health problem, the only statistically significant relationships
with knowledge were for education (p<.001) and occupation (p<.001) variables. Conclusion: Given the importance
of the roles of medical students and personnel as information sources and leaders in health and preventive behavior,
increasing and improving their scientific understanding seems vital. Comprehensive and appropriate education of all
people and especially students and personnel of medical sciences and improving attitudes towards cervical cancer and
its monitoring are to be recommended. | |
