Assessing the Behaviour of Men towards Cervical Cancer Screening in Tamale Metropolis, Ghana

Abstract

Cervical cancer (CC) is a severe disease and one of the most prevailing and dreaded conditions which affect women all over the world with devastating effects, particularly in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). To prevent and reduce the morbidity and fatality linked with CC, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended cervical cancer screening (CCS). However, screening uptake in Ghana is low. Male participation in women’s health issues and CCS is a significant factor in improving the utilisation of preventive health services in settings where decision making is the prerogative of men. Thus, this study assessed the behaviour of men towards CCS in the Tamale Metropolis using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) as an organising framework. A descriptive cross-sectional design and quantitative approach were employed, and a multistage sampling method was used to reach a sample size of 422 men. The respondents were recruited using simple random sampling. Descriptive and inferential statistics (correlation and regression analysis) in the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 21 were employed for data analysis. The findings of this study revealed that the men had a moderate level of knowledge, good attitude, favourable beliefs, good perceived behavioural control (PBC), good intentions and moderate behaviour towards CCS. The results also showed a positive and a negative relationship between the knowledge level and attitude of the respondents and their behaviour, respectively. Similarly, their knowledge level and attitude predicted their behaviour. Despite the level of knowledge and attitude of these men, only a few of them were willing to allow their partners/women to engage in CCS. Therefore, Men should be considered as part of CCS programmes and policies to inform feasible and sustained strategies for CCS to maximise the number of women with access to screening. Information about CC and CCS should be made accessible to both men and women while increasing the number of CCS centres across the nation.