TITLE:
Attitudes and Practices Contributing to Vaginal Stenosis in Women with Cervical Cancer Following Brachytherapy at Cancer Diseases Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia. A Cross Sectional Study
AUTHORS:
Royda Matipa, Catherine Mubita Ngoma, Sebean Mayimbo, Victoria Mwiinga Kalusopa, Christopher Simoonga, Nasson Nathan Tembo, Michael Banda, Jamia Milanzi
KEYWORDS:
Attitude, Practices, Cervical Cancer, Brachytherapy
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.12 No.11,
November
23,
2022
ABSTRACT: Background: Vaginal stenosis is an important adverse
effect of brachytherapy for cervicalcancer. This study aimed to determine attitudes and practices
contributing to vaginal stenosis following brachytherapy at the Cancer Diseases Hospital in Lusaka—Zambia. Methods: An
analytical cross-sectional study design was employed, where 163 respondents were
randomly selected after meeting inclusion criteria. A
researcher-administered questionnaire was used to collect data and SPSS version
25 was used for data analysis. Results: Out of the 163 women
enrolled in this study, 42.3% had developed vaginal stenosis while 57.7% did
not with age range 15 - 60+ years. 76% exhibited good practices
to measures against vaginal stenosis while majority (93.9%) of the respondents
demonstrated poor attitudes towards measures to prevent the condition. Women with poor practices
versus good practices (OR =
1.07, CI = 0.52 - 2.21, p =
0.855), poor attitudes versus good attitudes (aOR =
1.28, CI = 0.29 - 5.71, p = 0.746) and those employed versus
unemployed (aOR = 1.76, CI = 0.73 - 4.27,
p = 0.210) had increased odds of vaginal stenosis. However,
these increasing effects were not significant at 5% level of significance. Although
length of brachytherapy showed no significant effect independently, the odds of
having vaginal stenosis were over 2 times higher for women who had been on
brachytherapy between 6 and 12 months compared to those on brachytherapy for
less than 6 months (OR = 2.45, CI = 1.03 - 5.82, p = 0.042). Conclusions: Failure to practice
recommended measures and poor attitudes towards therapy contributes to vaginal
stenosis. Efforts should be channeled towards overcoming religious,
traditional, cultural and personal impediments contributing to vaginal stenosis
in women with cervical cancer receiving brachytherapy.