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Attitudes Towards Anal Cancer and Screening Among People Living With HIV(PLWH) in Puerto Rico and Their Association with Educational Attainment

Goawala, Zainab (2024) Attitudes Towards Anal Cancer and Screening Among People Living With HIV(PLWH) in Puerto Rico and Their Association with Educational Attainment. Master Essay, University of Pittsburgh.

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Abstract

Background: Anal cancer is a critical public health issue since its incidence has been rising in the past years. Lack of knowledge poses challenges in prevention, screening methods, and treatment, which warrants immediate intervention and early detection efforts. While persons living with HIV are at increased risk of anal cancer, limited research exists among Hispanic persons living with HIV with respect to this malignancy and use of screening methods. A lack of awareness
with anal pap tests, an essential screening tool for the early detection of anal cancer, hinders screening efforts leading to a higher burden of disease in this high-risk population; a health disparity issue that needs further research.
Methods: Between November 2020 to December 2021, 212 PLWH living in Puerto Rico completed a telephone-based interview assessing medical, sexual history, socio-demographic, lifestyle variables, alongside attitudes and knowledge pertaining to anal cancer screening. Descriptive statistics and multivariate regression were performed using SAS and STATA.
Results: Overall, 67.5% participants were male and aged ≥ 50 years. Concerning anal cancer, 81.3% expressed worry about developing anal cancer, 96.7% were willing to have an anal pap test in the future, and 97.2% wanted to learn more about the disease. Moreover, 75.9% had previously shown interest in getting an anal pap test, while 65.9% mentioned feeling nervous about their test results. After adjusting for age and sex, PLWH with a high school education or less were more likely to perceive anal cancer as a hopeless disease (OR: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.18-4.32), early detection methods as very uncomfortable (OR: 2.9, 95% CI: 1.46-5.70) and the impact of anal cancer on life as minimal (OR: 2.5, 95% CI: 1.18-5.50) as compared to individuals with higher education.
Conclusion: Those in the lower educational attainment category had the most negative attitudes toward anal cancer and current screening methods. This work underscores the public health importance of the urgent need for increased education and awareness about anal cancer screening in PLWH, where stigma is high, particularly among individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.

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Details

Item Type: Other Thesis, Dissertation, or Long Paper (Master Essay)
Status: Unpublished
Creators/Authors:
CreatorsEmailPitt UsernameORCID
Goawala, ZainabZAG40@pitt.eduZAG40
Contributors:
ContributionContributors NameEmailPitt UsernameORCID
Committee ChairGlynn, NancyEPIDNWG@pitt.eduEPIDNWGUNSPECIFIED
Committee MemberElias, Thistleelias@pitt.edueliasUNSPECIFIED
Committee MemberOrtiz, Anaana.ortiz7@upr.eduUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Date: 3 January 2024
Date Type: Completion
Number of Pages: 46
Institution: University of Pittsburgh
Schools and Programs: School of Public Health > Epidemiology
Degree: MPH - Master of Public Health
Thesis Type: Master Essay
Refereed: Yes
Uncontrolled Keywords: anal cancer HIV HPV screening educational attainment literacy cancer anal pap Hispanic Puerto Rico
Date Deposited: 03 Jan 2024 14:37
Last Modified: 03 Jan 2024 14:37
URI: http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/45673

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