Abstract:
Background: Breast cancer poses a significant public health challenge in Ethiopia, leading to high mortality rates among women. Despite the proven effectiveness of mammography for early detection, its utilization is low among healthcare providers.
Objective: This study aims to assess the uptake of mammography screening and identify the associated factors influencing its uptake among female health workers aged 40 and above in selected private and government tertiary hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Methods: Hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among female healthcare providers aged 40 and above in selected government and private territory hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A multistage sampling technique was implemented to select the study participants. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Epi Info version 7.0 and IBM SPSS statistics; version 27.0 were used for data entry and analysis respectively. Descriptive statistics was carried out to characterize the study population and analyze the frequency distribution. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regressions were done to test the association between the dependent and independent variables.
Result- A total of 507 female healthcare workers were included in the study. The uptake of mammography in this study was 14.2%, 95% CI (11.3-17.5). Clinical breast examination (AOR=3.07, 95% CI (1.37-6.90), Experience of PAP smear screening (AOR=2.85, 95% CI (1.23-6.6), Family history of breast cancer (AOR=10.25, 95% CI (4.16-25.24) and knowing friends with breast cancer (AOR=5.96, 95% CI (1.45-24.56) was statically associated with the uptake of mammography screening.
Conclusion and recommendation: This study revealed a low lifetime mammography screening uptake among healthcare providers highlighting a critical gap in early breast cancer detection. These findings underscore the need for tailored health interventions that incorporate educational initiatives aimed at increasing awareness of breast cancer and promoting greater participation in mammography screening within this group.