Social network characteristics and cervical cancer screening among Quechua women in Andean Peru

Addressing the burden of cervical cancer for Indigenous women in Latin America and the Caribbean: a call for action

Cervical cancer, primarily caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, poses a significant global health challenge. Due to higher levels of poverty and health inequities, Indigenous women worldwide are more vulnerable to cervical cancer than their non-Indigenous counterparts. However, despite constituting nearly 10% of the population in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), the true extent of the burden of cervical cancer among Indigenous people in this region remains largely unknown. This article reviews the available information on cervical cancer incidence and mortality, as well as HPV infection prevalence, among Indigenous women in LAC. The limited existing data suggest that Indigenous women in this region face a heightened risk of cervical cancer incidence and mortality compared to non-Indigenous women. Nevertheless, a substantial knowledge gap persists that must be addressed to comprehensively assess the burden of cervical cancer among Indigenous populations, especially through enhancing cancer surveillance across LAC countries. Numerous structural, social and cultural barriers hindering Indigenous women's access to HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening worldwide have been identified and are reviewed in this article. The discussion highlights the critical role of culturally sensitive education, community engagement, and empowerment strategies in overcoming those barriers. Drawing insights from the success of targeted strategies in certain high-income countries, the present article advocates for research, policies and healthcare interventions tailored to the unique context of LAC countries.

[Control of cervical cancer in the primary care setting in South American countries: systematic reviewControl del cáncer cervicouterino en los servicios de atención primaria de salud en los países de América del Sur: revisión sistemática]

Objetivo.

Descrever as estratégias para prevenção e controle do câncer do colo do útero (CCU) na atenção primária à saúde (APS) na América do Sul.

Métodos.

Revisão de literatura em duas etapas: revisão documental em sites governamentais de Argentina, Bolívia, Brasil, Chile, Colômbia, Equador, Paraguai, Peru, Uruguai e Venezuela; e revisão sistemática da literatura nas bases LILACS, MEDLINE, Scopus, SciELO e Science Direct.

Resultados.

Foram incluídos 21 documentos institucionais (planos, guias de prática e diretrizes nacionais) e 25 artigos. Todos os países tinham taxas elevadas de morbimortalidade por CCU. Predominou o rastreamento oportunístico na APS, embora os documentos disponíveis sinalizassem intenções e estratégias para diagnóstico precoce e acompanhamento longitudinal dos casos suspeitos e confirmados, preferencialmente na rede pública. Todos os países adotavam uma concepção abrangente de APS, embora o processo de implementação estivesse em estágios heterogêneos e predominassem a focalização e a seletividade. Destaca-se pior acesso ao rastreamento para mulheres de regiões rurais ou remotas e para povos originários. A indisponibilidade de serviços de APS próximos às residências/comunidade foi uma importante barreira para o rastreamento do CCU.

Conclusões.

A fragmentação dos sistemas de saúde e a segmentação na oferta de serviços são obstáculos para a prevenção e o controle do CCU na América do Sul. São necessários programas organizados de rastreamento do CCU e a incorporação de busca ativa para realização do Papanicolaou via APS. A interculturalidade nas práticas e a formulação de políticas numa perspectiva interseccional são fundamentais para superar as iniquidades no controle do CCU nos países sul-americanos.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of cervical cancer prevention and pap smears in two low-income communities in Lima, Peru

BACKGROUND

Cervical cancer is a leading cause of death among Peruvian women. Barriers at multiple levels impact effective screening and treatment, including a lack of knowledge about cervical cancer and how regular screening can reduce morbidity and mortality through earlier detection. The aim of this study is to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding cervical cancer and its prevention in the peri-urban communities of Oasis and Pampas in southern Lima, Peru that can be used to inform future campaigns about cervical cancer prevention.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey that included several open-ended questions was administered to women in Pampas and Oasis between 2015 and 2016 to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding cervical cancer and Pap smears.

RESULTS

In total, 224 women were interviewed. Knowledge about cervical cancer and Pap smears was high, and attitudes were predominantly positive among most participants. Most participants knew how often they should get Pap smears (89.7%), when to begin seeking screening (74.6%), knew the price of a Pap smear (61.9%), and felt Pap smears were important for their health (70.1%). About one third (29.5%) of premenopausal women reported receiving a Pap smear in the last year. However, open ended questions revealed some knowledge gaps around Pap smears, as well as some stigma associated to Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection.

CONCLUSION

Although knowledge of cervical cancer prevention was generally high and perceptions were positive among women in peri-urban Peruvian communities, our findings revealed there is a need for education on HPV infection prevalence among sexually active individuals to reduce stigma. Future research should focus on exploring experiences with follow-up and treatment associated with abnormal Pap smears, as well as perspectives from health authorities and professionals about barriers in the early detection and treatment process for cervical cancer.

Patient perspectives on relatives and significant others in cancer care: An interview study

PURPOSE

In this study, patient perspectives on their relative's involvement in gynaecological cancer treatment and care are investigated.

METHODS

In total 17 women participated in two qualitative research interviews each during their treatment period. By applying a phenomenological-hermeneutic text interpretation methodology, the findings were systematically identified, interpreted, and discussed. This process gave rise to two main themes: "Relatives include more than family members" and "Interactions with relatives and significant others".

RESULTS

The findings showed that, besides family members, in particular neighbours and people who had experienced cancer themselves were an important and valuable support to the patients. Help with daily activities and errands, and providing informal company, represented a substantial support in difficult times, and generated a sense of social belonging and the experience of fellowship. Interactions with relatives were influenced by the patients' personal reflections and experiences and posed several positive as well as negative challenges. Firstly, the patients had many concerns about passing on the news of their cancer disease to their social network. Loneliness, in various representations, was a persistent theme, which reflected various experiences of vulnerability.

CONCLUSION

Positive family relations represented a unique resource during cancer treatment; however, due to relatives' worries or lack of support, patients could experience strain. This perspective on relatives' involvement - from the patient's point of view - seems to be understudied.

Challenges and opportunities associated with cervical cancer screening programs in a low income, high HIV prevalence context

Background

Cervical cancer is a leading cause of death among Cameroon women. The burden of cervical cancer is in part traceable to the inadequate understanding of socio-contextual determinants of access to screening and prevention opportunities. We explored multilevel individual, community and structural factors that facilitate or inhibit cervical cancer prevention in women at risk in a low-income, high HIV prevalence context.

Methods

We utilized an exploratory qualitative approach to obtain data through focus group discussions and in-depth interviews from May to August, 2018. A two-stage purposive sampling strategy was used to select 80 women and 20 men who participated in 8 focus group discussions and 8 in-depth interviews. The socio-ecological model guided data analyses to identify micro-, meso-, and macro-level determinants of cervical cancer screening.

Results

Micro-level factors including lack of awareness and knowledge about cervical cancer, lack of access to information, excessive cost of cervical cancer screening, low risk perceptions, and poor health seeking behaviors were major barriers for women seeking cervical cancer screening. Meso-level factors, such as social networks, socio-cultural norms, perceptions of the role of men and HIV-related stigma when screening is integrated into HIV care, also engender negative attitudes and behaviors. Macro-level barriers to cervical cancer screening included poorly equipped health facilities and a lack of national cancer prevention policies and programs.

Conclusion

In the context of the call for elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem, our findings highlight challenges and opportunities that should be considered when implementing interventions to increase uptake of cervical cancer screening in low-middle income settings.

Understanding Geospatial Factors Associated With Cervical Cancer Screening Uptake in Amazonian Peruvian Women

PURPOSE

Cervical cancer (CC) is the most common and second-most deadly cancer among Peruvian women. Access to services is strongly associated with CC screening uptake. This study investigated geospatial features contributing to utilization of screening. We used geolocated data and screening information from a Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice (KAP) survey implemented in Iquitos, Peru in 2017.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The KAP collected cross-sectional CC screening history from 619 female interviewees age 18-65 years within 5 communities of varying urbanization levels. We used spatial statistics to determine if screened households tended to cluster together or cluster around facilities offering screening in greater numbers than expected, given the underlying population density.

RESULTS

On the basis of K-functions, screened households displayed greater clustering among each other as compared with clustering among unscreened households. Neighborhood-level factors, such as outreach, communication, or socioeconomic condition, may be functioning to generate pockets of screened households. Cross K-functions showed that screened households are generally located closer to health facilities than unscreened households. The significance of facility access is apparent and demonstrates that travel and time barriers to seeking health services must be addressed.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the importance of considering geospatial features when determining factors associated with CC screening uptake. Given the observed clustering of screened households, neighborhood-level dynamics should be further studied to understand how they may be influencing screening rates. In addition, results demonstrate that accessibility issues must be carefully considered when designing an effective cancer screening program that includes screening, follow-up, and treatment.

Professional Care Networks of Frail Older People: An Explorative Survey Study from the Patient Perspective

BACKGROUND

Frail older people living in the community require multidisciplinary care. Despite the fact that patient participation is high on the public agenda, studies into multidisciplinary care mainly focus on the viewpoints of professionals. Little is known about frail older patients' experiences with care delivered by multidisciplinary teams and their perception of collaboration between professional and informal caregivers.

OBJECTIVE

To gain more insight into the experiences of frail older patients with integrated multidisciplinary care by mapping the care networks of this patient group and their perception of the interconnection between professional and informal caregivers.

METHODS

Survey study to facilitate a care network analysis. Due to the vulnerable health status of the respondents, questionnaires were completed during interviews. Analysis was performed using an iterative process, using both visual and metric techniques.

PARTICIPANTS

44 older persons, considered 'frail' by their general practitioner.

SETTING

Four general practices in The Netherlands.

RESULTS

The networks of the participants consisted of an average of 15 actors connected by 54 ties. General practitioners were the most common actors in the networks, and were well connected to medical specialists and in-home care providers. The participants did not always perceive a connection between their general practitioner and their informal caregiver. The network analyses resulted in the identification of three subtypes: simple star (n = 16), complex star (n = 16), and sub-group networks (n = 12).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate that the elderly often do not experience the integration of multidisciplinary care as such. This is a real opportunity for MTs to improve their care and to make the patients' experiences better in line with what they are aiming: allowing patients to live at home as healthy and independently as possible for as long as possible. We showed that informal caregivers often form communication bridges between patients and professionals. Having a better knowledge of the patient perspective enables the gaps in professional care networks of frail older people to be filled and facilitates the anticipation of crisis situations.

Use of social network analysis in the development, dissemination, implementation, and sustainability of health behavior interventions for adults: A systematic review

Interest in conceptualizing, measuring, and applying social network analysis (SNA) in public health has grown tremendously in recent years. While these studies have broadened our understanding of the role that social networks play in health, there has been less research that has investigated the application of SNA to inform health-related interventions. This systematic review aimed to capture the current applied use of SNA in the development, dissemination, implementation, and sustainability of health behavior interventions for adults. We identified 52 articles published between 2004 and 2016. A wide variety of study settings were identified, most commonly in the US context and most often related to sexual health and HIV prevention. We found that 38% of articles explicitly applied SNA to inform some aspect of interventions. Use of SNA to inform intervention development (as opposed to dissemination, implementation, or sustainability) was most common. The majority of articles represented in this review (n = 39) were quantitative studies, and 13 articles included a qualitative component. Partial networks were most represented across articles, and over 100 different networks measures were assessed. The most commonly described measures were network density, size, and degree centrality. Finally, very few articles defined SNA and not all articles using SNA were theoretically-informed. Given the nascent and heterogeneous state of the literature in this area, this is an important time for the field to coalesce on terminology, measures, and theoretical frameworks. We highlight areas for researchers to advance work on the application of SNA in the design, dissemination, implementation and sustainability of behavioral interventions.

The Role of Social Support and the Neighborhood Environment on Physical Activity in Low-income, Mexican-American Women in South Texas

Objectives

To determine the relationships between physical activity (PA), the neighborhood environment support for PA, and social support for PA among Mexican-American women living in South Texas. The Enlace study was a randomized controlled trial that tested the effectiveness of a promotora-led PA intervention among low-income Mexican origin women (n=614) living in colonias.

Methods

The dependent measures included accelerometer-measured average moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary breaks and the Community Health Activities Model Program for Seniors PA 41-item questionnaire. The independent measures included the Physical Activity and Neighborhood Environment Scale (PANES) and the 13-item Physical Activity Social Support (PASS) scale.

Results

Enlace participants were on average 40.4 (standard deviation, 10.3) years old, born in Mexico (86.1%), and uninsured (83.1%). Adjusted linear regression results indicated that each 1-point increment in the PANES overall score was associated with 0.050 (p<0.001) unit increase in sedentary break and a −0.043 (p=0.001) unit decrease in sedentary break duration. Both PANES (β=0.296; p=0.002) and PASS scores (β=0.076; p<0.001) were associated with weekly average self-reported MVPA. Interaction effects were observed between PASS scores and accelerometer-measured frequency of sedentary breaks and sedentary time duration.

Conclusions

The findings of this study indicate that the relationships between PA and built environment and social support are measure-dependent and suggest that reducing sedentary time in this population may require a closer assessment of social support for PA.

The Faces on Our Educational Materials: Real Stories behind the Messages

This article considers how cancer education research programs affect the lives of research participants in terms of their cancer screening and diagnosis experiences. Using examples from research with Latina immigrant women in rural Georgia and Quechua women in rural Andean Peru, the author explains how cervical cancer education research can produce meaningful and empowering change in women's lives.

Social and Cultural Barriers to Women's Participation in Pap Smear Screening Programs in Low- and Middle-Income Latin American and Caribbean Countries: An Integrative Review

PURPOSE

Pap smear screening programs have been ineffective in reducing cervical cancer mortality in most Latin American and Caribbean countries, in part due to low screening rates. The purpose of this review was to analyze recent studies to identify demographic, social, and cultural factors influencing women's participation in Pap screening programs in Latin America and the Caribbean.

DESIGN/METHOD

For this integrative review, cervical cancer screening in Latin America and the Caribbean was searched using PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, and PsycINFO databases. Findings/Results: Demographic barriers to screening were socioeconomic status, education, race/ethnicity, and geography. Social barriers included lack of uniformity in screening guidelines, lack of knowledge regarding cervical cancer, and lack of preventive culture. Cultural barriers were fear/embarrassment and gender roles.

CONCLUSIONS

There are multilevel barriers to Pap smear utilization among women in Latin America and the Caribbean.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Findings highlight a need for health system engagement, promotion of preventive care, and community-generated educational programs and solutions.