Correlates of cervical cancer awareness among women aged 30–49 in five sub-Saharan African nations: Evidence from the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS)—2017–2023

Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Prior studies associate high cervical cancer awareness with reductions in cervical cancer incidence. In this study, we utilize nationally representative Demographic and Health Surveys Program (DHS) to analyze correlates of cervical cancer awareness to inform global strategies. All DHS surveys between 2017-2023 were queried for questions on cervical cancer awareness. Socio-demographic variables (e.g., age, marital status), socioeconomic variables (e.g., education, wealth, literacy) and variables pertaining to healthcare decision making, distance traveled, intimate partner violence (IPV), and female genital mutilation/circumcision (FGC/M)) were extracted. Sample weights were applied, and logistic regressions were performed. Variables with p < 0.20 were included in multivariate analysis. Data was obtained from 30,214 women aged 30-49 years old living in Benin, Cameroon, Madagascar, Mauritania, and Mozambique, 19,403 of whom were asked questions on cervical cancer awareness. Cervical cancer awareness varied from 53% in Cameroon to 12% in Benin. Literacy, frequency of watching television, mobile telephone ownership, visiting a local healthcare facility and hormonal contraceptive use were associated with increased cervical cancer awareness, while lack of healthcare decision making independence was associated with decreased awareness after multivariate adjustment. Women who experienced emotional IPV were associated with increased awareness in Cameroon. Less than 4% of all women were screened for cervical cancer. Given the known association between awareness and screening, targeted efforts to increase awareness among women without communication modalities has the potential to reduce global cervical cancer disparities. Potential strategies include co-locating cervical cancer awareness programs with public health programs and implementing large-scale telecommunication outreach programs to improve awareness.