laila lahlou

Health Related Quality of Life and Religiosity of Women with Cervical Cancer in the Souss-Massa Region, Morocco: A Cross-Sectional Study

Cervical cancer is a highly prevalent cancer among women, especially in low- and middle-income countries. This disease affects women in various ways and consequently impacts the quality of life of those diagnosed with this type of cancer. The aim of this study is to assess the quality of life and the degree of religiosity among women with cervical cancer in Morocco. This is a cross-sectional study conducted at the Regional Oncology Center in the Souss-Massa region of Morocco during the period from January to May 2024. A total of 80 patients with cervical cancer were surveyed using the two validated Moroccan versions of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC QLQ-C30) module and the BIAC (Belief Into Action Scale). Mean scores were calculated, and the ANOVA test was used to examine the significance of the mean difference between variables. A stepwise multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to explore the predictive factors of health-related quality of life. The average age of the patients was 56.1 ± 9.21 years. The mean overall quality of life score was 51.78 ± 30.06. Social functioning had the highest score (92.19 ± 21.90), while emotional functioning had the lowest score (62.55 ± 42). Pain (AOR= 6.98, 95% CI: 1.18-41.16) was associated with the patients' health-related quality of life. Regarding religiosity, the mean overall score on the BIAC scale was 54.17 ± 23.72. The patients' faith in God remained intact, but religious practice was significantly impaired. Cervical cancer significantly affects the health-related quality of life of patients. Consequently, efforts to improve quality of life should be undertaken, particularly in terms of emotional functioning, pain, and financial difficulties.

Awareness, Knowledge and Attitude Regarding Cervical Cancer among Women Living with HIV in the Souss-Massa Region, Southern Morocco: A Cross-Sectional Study

Human immunodeficiency virus- positive women have an increased risk of precancerous lesions and invasive cervical cancer. This study aims to identify the level of awareness/knowledge and attitudes toward cervical cancer among women living with Human immunodeficiency virus in the region of Souss-Massa in southern Morocco.  Methods: This is a multicenter cross-sectional study conducted in the Souss-Massa region (southern Morocco) among women attending Human immunodeficiency virus treatment and care centers between March 2022 and September 2022. A questionnaire was used for data collection. The Chi-square test and logistic regression were deployed to identify factors associated with cervical cancer awareness among the target population. A total of 494 respondents to the questionnaire, 440 (89.1%) are aware of cervical cancer. Nevertheless, 405 (82.0%) and 369 (74.7%) were unaware of cervical cancer risk factors and symptoms, respectively. Only 125 (25.3%) knew the exact frequency of cervical cancer screening among Human immunodeficiency virus positive women, whereas 221 (44.7%) had ever been tested for cervical cancer. Factors associated with women's awareness of cervical cancer are as follows:  level of education (adjusted Odds Ratio = 3.78 with 95% CI, 1.23-11.65), time since diagnosis of Human immunodeficiency virus (adjusted Odds Ratio = 4.31 with 95% CI, 1.12- 16.52), knowledge of women with cervical cancer (adjusted Odds Ratio = 6.30 with 95% CI, 1.87-21.18) and heard the pap- smear/visual inspection with acetic acid (adjusted Odds Ratio = 4.92 with 95% CI, 2.35-10.33). The general knowledge of seropositive women regarding cervical cancer remains very low, which justifies the integration of cervical cancer prevention services with Human immunodeficiency virus care, and pinpoints the crucial role of patient education.