A Comparative Study of Cervical Cancer among Indigenous Amerindian, Afro-Guyanese, and Indo-Guyanese Women in Guyana

Type Thesis or Dissertation - Doctor of Philosophy
Title A Comparative Study of Cervical Cancer among Indigenous Amerindian, Afro-Guyanese, and Indo-Guyanese Women in Guyana
Author(s)
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2017
URL http://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4142&context=dissertations
Abstract
Cervical cancer is a major public health problem in developing countries. In Guyana, factors
associated with increasing cervical cancer cases among Indigenous Amerindian women
(IAW), Afro- women (AGW), and Indo-Guyanese women (IGW) have not been fully
examined. In this comparative cross-sectional study, 5,800 cervical cancer cases were
selected from Guyanese women age 13 and above for ethnicity (Indigenous Amerindian,
Afro- and Indo Guyanese women), geographical region, marital status, and year and stage at
diagnosis. Secondary data from Guyana Cancer Registry for the 2000-2012 study periods
were analyzed using chi-square test, multinomial logistic regression, poisson regression, and
relative risk. Geographical region was a strong predictor of cervical cancer cases for all three
ethnic groups (p < 0.05). The relative risk for cervical cancer for IAW in Regions 2 (RR =
1.2) and 6 (RR = 1.07) was greater than for IAW in Region 4, the reference group for the
study period. Comparatively, the relative risk for cervical cancer for AGW in Region 4 was
greater than AGW in all other regions except Region 3 (RR = 1.05). Additionally, the relative
risk for cervical cancer for IGW in Region 3 (RR = 1.03) was greater than that of IGW in all
other regions. Single IAW (1.05) have a higher risk of getting cervical cancer than their
married counterparts as compared to AGW (0.96) and IGW (1.00). Implications for social
change include development of tailored programs which utilize a socio-ecological model
to address cervical cancer issues at the individual, interpersonal, cultural, and community
levels. Future research should focus on understanding the epidemiology of cervical
cancer and the social factors among the ethnic groups of women

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