Low attendance in cervical cancer screening, geographical disparities and sociodemographic determinants of screening uptake among adult women in Burkina Faso : results from the first nationwide population-based survey

To explore the level, geographical disparities and sociodemographic determinants of cervical cancer screening uptake among adult women in Burkina Faso by using data from the first national population-based survey. This was a cross-sectional secondary analysis of primary data obtained by the 2013 World Health Organization (WHO) Stepwise Approach to Surveillance survey conducted in Burkina Faso. All 13 Burkinabè regions, with their different rates of urbanization, were surveyed. Lifetime cervical cancer screening uptake was explored. We included 2293 adult women for analyses and performed Student's t, chi-square and Fisher's exact tests, and logistic regression. Only 6.2% (95% CI: 5.3–7.3) of women had ever been screened for cervical cancer. For two regions (“Centre” and “Hauts-Bassins”), the pooled frequency was 16.6% (95% CI: 13.5–20.1) while in the other eleven regions it was significantly lower, 3.3% (95% CI: 2.5–4.2). In urban and rural areas, the respective frequencies for the screening uptake were 18.5% and 2.8% (p < 0.001), and in educated and un-educated women, frequencies were 27.7% and 3.3% (p < 0.001) respectively. The sociodemographic factors associated with screening uptake were being educated (adjusted odd-ratio [aOR] = 4.3; 95% CI: 2.8–6.7), urban residence (aOR = 3.8, 95% CI: 2.5–5.8) and having an occupation providing income (aOR = 3.1, 95% CI: 1.8–5.4). There was a significantly wide range in screening uptake between Burkina Faso regions, and the overall national as well as the region-specific levels were far below the WHO's target for cervical cancer elimination. Cervical cancer interventions should be tailored specifically for Burkinabè women with different educational levels, and prevention strategies based on community engagement integrating psychosocial considerations could be helpful. Explorer le niveau, les disparités géographiques et les déterminants sociodémographiques de la pratique du dépistage du cancer du col de l'utérus chez les femmes adultes burkinabè en utilisant les premières données nationales d'une enquête en population générale. Il s'agit d'une analyse secondaire des données collectées lors de l'enquête « Stepwise approach to surveillance » de l'Organisation Mondiale de la Santé (OMS), conduite en 2013 au Burkina Faso. L'enquête s'est déroulée dans les 13 régions du pays caractérisées par des niveaux d'urbanisation différents. La réalisation, au moins une fois au cours de la vie, d'un dépistage du cancer du col de l'ut