Drivers of breast cancer and cervical cancer screening among women of reproductive age: insights from the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey.

BACKGROUND: The two major causes of cancer-related deaths among women in Ghana are breast cancer (BC) and cervical cancer (CC). These types of cancers typically do not show any symptoms until they have progressed. Therefore, it is important to screen for early detection. This research aimed to investigate the rate of breast cancer and cervical cancer screening, as well as the factors associated with it, among women of reproductive age in Ghana. METHODS: This study analysed data from the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey. A total of 15,014 women aged 15 to 49 years were included in the analysis. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were employed to analyse the data with the aid of STATA/SE, version 17. RESULTS: It was found that 18.4% and 5.0% of the women had screened for BC and CC, respectively. Women aged 45-49 years were about three times more likely (aOR = 2.83, 95% CI: 1.88-4.24) to screen for BC compared to those aged 15-19 years. Women who had tested for HIV had increased odds (aOR = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.56-2.25) of screening for BC compared to their counterparts. Women within the richest wealth index (aOR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.40-2.72) had increased odds of screening for BC compared to those in the poorest wealth index. Regarding CC screening, women with higher education (aOR = 2.56, 95% CI: 1.53-4.29) were two times more likely to screen for CC compared to those with no formal education. Women who did not use tobacco (aOR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.21-0.96) had decreased odds of CC screening compared to their counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the uptake of BC and CC screening services among women in Ghana was very low. The drivers of BC and CC screening included enabling, predisposing, and need factors. Stakeholders can leverage the mass media to raise awareness and educate women in reproductive age about the importance of BC and CC screening. This study provides relevant information that can inform BC and CC policies and programmes in Ghana.

Teenage pregnancy and timing of first marriage in Cameroon-What has changed over the last three decades, and what are the implications?

BACKGROUND: The consequences of teenage childbearing on the health of mothers and children, and on girls' schooling have been documented in many studies. The objectives of this study are to: 1) examine trends and differentials in teenage motherhood in Cameroon, with a distinction between premarital and marital teenage pregnancy; and 2) investigate trends and differentials in the length of time to marriage following a premarital teenage pregnancy. METHODS: We use data from five demographic and health surveys (DHS) conducted in Cameroon between 1991 and 2018. Teenage pregnancy, defined as first pregnancy occurring before the age of 20 years, is recode as a trichotomous variable (0 = No teenage pregnancy; 1 = marital teenage pregnancy; 2 = premarital teenage pregnancy). Time from first premarital teenage pregnancy to first marriage is analyzed as a continuous variable. RESULTS: The percentage of women who experienced a marital teenage pregnancy declined from 39.6% to 26.4% between 1991 and 2018. After an initial drop between 1991 and 2004, premarital teenage pregnancy stabilized at about 25%. Women with intermediate levels of schooling were more likely to experience a premarital pregnancy than those with no schooling or higher secondary/tertiary education. The median length of time to first marriage following a premarital teenage pregnancy rose from 16 months in 1991 to 45 months in 2018. Further analysis suggests that marriage may be a more severe barrier to continued schooling than motherhood and that the desire to continue schooling is an important reason for postponing marriage for women who have given birth. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Besides strengthening interventions to curb adolescent pregnancy, efforts should be made to support families, communities and schools to help adolescent mothers return to school, prevent future unintended pregnancies, and delay further family formation. Accessibility to youth-friendly FP/RH services should be addressed.