Awareness Of Cervical Cancer And Visual Inspection With Acetic Acid (VIA) Screening Among Rural And Urban Women Of Bhopal: A Community-Based Comparative Study

Aditi Sharma; Rimpa Manna

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i03.79952

Awareness Of Cervical Cancer And Visual Inspection With Acetic Acid (VIA) Screening Among Rural And Urban Women Of Bhopal: A Community-Based Comparative Study

Author(s)	Ms. Aditi Sharma, Dr. Rimpa Manna
Country	India
Abstract	Background: Cervical cancer kills more women in low- and middle-income countries than in high-income settings, largely because organised screening does not reach them. In rural India, this gap is acute: women are rarely told what cervical cancer is, let alone offered Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA)-a cheap, field-ready screening method recommended by the WHO. How large the awareness gap between rural and urban women actually is in Madhya Pradesh has not been well measured. Objectives: To compare cervical cancer and VIA screening awareness between rural and urban women in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, and to examine how awareness varies with education, income, and age. Methods: A community-based comparative cross-sectional study enrolled 200 women aged 30-60 years (rural n = 100; urban n = 100) by systematic random sampling. An eight-item binary questionnaire assessed awareness of the disease, VIA, symptoms, risk factors, preventability, and screening necessity. An aggregate score (0-8; greater than or equal to 5 = adequate) was compared between groups using independent t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and chi-square test; associations with socio-demographic variables were examined by one-way ANOVA. Results: Urban women scored significantly higher (mean 6.01 plus or minus 1.11 vs. 3.43 plus or minus 1.42; t = -14.273, p < 0.001). Adequate awareness was found in 89.0% of urban women but only 22.0% of rural women (chi-square = 90.880, p < 0.001). Awareness varied significantly with education (F = 4.677, p = 0.001), income (F = 6.345, p = 0.002), and age group (F = 3.531, p = 0.031). Conclusion: Nearly four in five rural women had inadequate awareness of cervical cancer and VIA screening. Targeted health education designed specifically for rural, low-literacy, and older women is needed to improve screening uptake in Madhya Pradesh.
Keywords	cervical cancer awareness; VIA screening; rural-urban disparity; community-based study; Madhya Pradesh; health literacy; early detection
Field	Biology > Medical / Physiology
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 3, May-June 2026
Published On	2026-05-29
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i03.79952

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Awareness Of Cervical Cancer And Visual Inspection With Acetic Acid (VIA) Screening Among Rural And Urban Women Of Bhopal: A Community-Based Comparative Study

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