EPIDEMIOLOGY AND HEALTH DATA INSIGHTS
Original Article
Jul 03, 2026 3 2

Cervical Cancer Cognizance and Service Delivery Practices Among Community Health Nurses in the Krobo Enclave, Eastern Region of Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study

Victoria Partey-Newman 1 * ,
Edward Kofi Sutherland 2,
Curtis Conduah 3
1 Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA2 Department of Community Health, Ensign Global University, Kpong, Ghana3 Department of Epidemiology, Ensign Global College, Kpong, Ghana* Corresponding Author
Epidemiology and Health Data Insights, 2(4), 2026, ehdi048, https://doi.org/10.63946/ehdi/18909
Publication date: Jul 03, 2026
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ABSTRACT

Background: Cervical cancer remains a major public health challenge globally and disproportionately affects women in low- and middle-income countries, including Ghana. Community health nurses (CHNs) play a critical role in promoting cervical cancer prevention, education, screening advocacy, and referral services within rural and underserved communities. However, limited evidence exists regarding their cognizance of cervical cancer and related service delivery practices within community-based healthcare settings in Ghana. This study assessed cervical cancer cognizance and service delivery practices among community health nurses within the Krobo Enclave in the Eastern Region of Ghana.
Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among community health nurses within the Upper Manya Krobo, Lower Manya Krobo, and Yilo Krobo municipalities between January and April 2020. Using a census sampling approach, all 177 eligible community health nurses were targeted for participation. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire assessing socio-demographic characteristics, general awareness, knowledge, and cervical cancer-related service delivery practices. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square analysis, logistic regression, and Spearman’s rank correlation analysis were performed using STATA version 14.
Results: A total of 145 community health nurses participated in the study, yielding a response rate of 81.9%. Most respondents demonstrated low general awareness regarding cervical cancer (62.8%), although moderate overall knowledge levels were observed, with 55.9% demonstrating high knowledge scores. Knowledge regarding cervical cancer risk factors, prevention, symptoms, and treatment was generally satisfactory; however, knowledge and practical experience related to screening procedures such as Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) and Pap smear testing were limited. Cervical cancer service delivery practices were generally poor, with 67.6% of respondents demonstrating low service delivery practice scores. Educational level was significantly associated with general awareness (p = 0.015). A weak but statistically significant positive relationship was observed between cervical cancer cognizance and service delivery practices (r = 0.20, p = 0.015).
Conclusion: Although community health nurses demonstrated moderate knowledge regarding cervical cancer, general awareness and service delivery practices were suboptimal. The findings suggest that knowledge alone may not translate into effective cervical cancer prevention practices within community healthcare settings. Regular in-service training, practical screening workshops, and strengthened integration of cervical cancer prevention services within the Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) system are needed to improve community-level cervical cancer prevention and early detection efforts in Ghana.

KEYWORDS

Cervical cancer Community health nurses Cervical cancer screening Service delivery practices Ghana

CITATION (Vancouver)

Partey-Newman V, Sutherland EK, Conduah C. Cervical Cancer Cognizance and Service Delivery Practices Among Community Health Nurses in the Krobo Enclave, Eastern Region of Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study. Epidemiology and Health Data Insights. 2026;2(4):ehdi048. https://doi.org/10.63946/ehdi/18909
APA
Partey-Newman, V., Sutherland, E. K., & Conduah, C. (2026). Cervical Cancer Cognizance and Service Delivery Practices Among Community Health Nurses in the Krobo Enclave, Eastern Region of Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study. Epidemiology and Health Data Insights, 2(4), ehdi048. https://doi.org/10.63946/ehdi/18909
Harvard
Partey-Newman, V., Sutherland, E. K., and Conduah, C. (2026). Cervical Cancer Cognizance and Service Delivery Practices Among Community Health Nurses in the Krobo Enclave, Eastern Region of Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study. Epidemiology and Health Data Insights, 2(4), ehdi048. https://doi.org/10.63946/ehdi/18909
AMA
Partey-Newman V, Sutherland EK, Conduah C. Cervical Cancer Cognizance and Service Delivery Practices Among Community Health Nurses in the Krobo Enclave, Eastern Region of Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study. Epidemiology and Health Data Insights. 2026;2(4), ehdi048. https://doi.org/10.63946/ehdi/18909
Chicago
Partey-Newman, Victoria, Edward Kofi Sutherland, and Curtis Conduah. "Cervical Cancer Cognizance and Service Delivery Practices Among Community Health Nurses in the Krobo Enclave, Eastern Region of Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study". Epidemiology and Health Data Insights 2026 2 no. 4 (2026): ehdi048. https://doi.org/10.63946/ehdi/18909
MLA
Partey-Newman, Victoria et al. "Cervical Cancer Cognizance and Service Delivery Practices Among Community Health Nurses in the Krobo Enclave, Eastern Region of Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study". Epidemiology and Health Data Insights, vol. 2, no. 4, 2026, ehdi048. https://doi.org/10.63946/ehdi/18909

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