Yuling Hu, Jingwen Li, Shanshan Zhu, Lahua Cheng, Fan Shi, Lin Li, Xiao Liu
Women with cervical cancer demonstrated insufficient knowledge. Although their overall attitude and practice scores fell within the predefined positive and proactive ranges, item-level findings revealed important gaps in treatment-related perceptions and behaviors. Knowledge emerged as the primary determinant of both attitudes and practices. Targeted patient education programs, particularly those tailored to rural and lower-education populations, may help improve understanding and address specific gaps in treatment-related perceptions and behaviors.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) concerning radiotherapy and chemotherapy among women with cervical cancer.
METHODS: A single-center cross-sectional study using convenience sampling was conducted at Jiangxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital between April 10 and June 10, 2025. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire that included sociodemographic characteristics and KAP scores. Descriptive analysis, logistic regression, correlation analysis, and structural equation modeling were performed.
RESULTS: A total of 439 valid questionnaires were analyzed, yielding an effective response rate of 83.46%. The participants had a mean age of 55.41 ± 9.71 years. The majority of participants were rural residents (54.0%), had received no more than a junior high school education (77.5%), and had been diagnosed within the past year (70.2%). The scores were 15.58 ± 7.61 (possible range: 0-32) for knowledge, 40.23 ± 4.35 (possible range: 10-50) for attitude, and 37.79 ± 6.15 (possible range: 10-50) for practice, respectively. Structural equation modeling showed that knowledge directly affected attitude (β = 0.241, P = 0.026) and practice (β = 0.243, P = 0.007). However, neither the direct effect of attitude on practice nor the indirect effect of knowledge on practice through attitude was statistically significant.
CONCLUSION: Women with cervical cancer demonstrated insufficient knowledge. Although their overall attitude and practice scores fell within the predefined positive and proactive ranges, item-level findings revealed important gaps in treatment-related perceptions and behaviors. Knowledge emerged as the primary determinant of both attitudes and practices. Targeted patient education programs, particularly those tailored to rural and lower-education populations, may help improve understanding and address specific gaps in treatment-related perceptions and behaviors.