Disparities in early-stage cervical cancer detection: the critical role of educational attainment in 75,268 women in Hubei Province

The prevention and treatment of cervical cancer is of great importance in the advancement of global public health. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of women’s educational attainment on disparities in early diagnosis of cervical cancer and, as well as the resulting differences in length of hospital stay and associated costs. A cross-sectional study involving 75,268 cervical cancer patients extracted from the Hubei Provincial Inpatient Medical Records Database from 2018 to 2023 in Hubei provinces of China was conducted. Logistic regression was used to explore associations between education attainment and early diagnosis. Generalized linear models (GLM) was employed to analyze the differences in hospital stay duration and costs between patients with early-diagnosed cervical cancer and those without early diagnosis. (1) Of the 75,268 cervical cancer patients, 44.75% were diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer. (2) Education level was an important influencing factor of early diagnosis of cervical cancer, with women with a college degree or higher are more likely to receive an early diagnosis of cervical cancer (OR = 1.58; 95% CI:1.46–1.70; p < 0.001). (3) Early diagnosis patients showed superior socioeconomic characteristics, a higher proportion of professional and managerial positions, and less reliance on government medical assistance. (4) Early-stage cervical cancer patients had 1.59 fewer hospital days (95% CI: -1.60, -1.58) and 1.55 lower costs (95% CI: -1.56, -1.54). Women’s educational attainment plays an important role in early diagnosis of cervical cancer, thereby further influencing patients’ hospitalization costs and length of stay. The identified socioeconomic barriers (education, occupation, insurance) can be leveraged to design targeted health promotion strategies for vulnerable women. Such focused interventions could improve early diagnosis in resource-limited areas, potentially reducing cervical cancer costs and improving outcomes globally.