Table 1.
Demographic characteristics, health service attributes and their distribution amongst women with cervical cancer
| Participant type | Cervical cancer patients [N = 134] | |
|---|---|---|
| Variables | Untreated [n = 42] (%) | Treated [n = 92] (%) |
| Age | ||
| Mean (years) | 50.2 | 52.9 |
| Area of residence | ||
| Urban | 27 (64) | 47 (51) |
| Rural | 15 (36) | 45 (49) |
| Method of payment for health services | ||
| Medical aid (insurance) | 5 (12) | 22 (24) |
| Out-of-pocket | 37 (88) | 70 (76) |
| Distance from nearest health facility (km) | ||
| ≤ 10 | 38 (90) | 76 (82) |
| 11–20 | 4 (10) | 8 (9) |
| > 20 | 0 | 8 (9) |
| Mode of transport to nearest health facility | ||
| Walking | 28 (67) | 49 (53) |
| Public transport | 13 (31) | 33 (36) |
| Private car | 1 (2) | 9 (10) |
| Motorcycle | 0 | 1 (1) |
| Time to travel to nearest health facility (minutes) | ||
| ≤ 30 | 32 (76) | 75 (82) |
| 31–60 | 7 (17) | 12 (13) |
| > 60 | 3 (7) | 5 (5) |
| Distance from nearest cervical cancer screening health facility (km) | ||
| ≤ 10 | 5 (12) | 30 (33) |
| 11–50 | 4 (10) | 18 (19) |
| > 50 | 1 (2) | 7 (8) |
| Don’t know | 32 (76) | 37 (40) |
| Mode of transport to nearest cervical cancer screening health facility | ||
| Walking | 3 (7) | 12 (13) |
| Public transport | 35 (83) | 70 (76) |
| Private car | 3 (7) | 10 (11) |
| Other | 1 (3) | 0 |
| Time to travel to nearest screening health facility (minutes) | ||
| ≤ 30 | 15 (36) | 51 (45) |
| 31–60 | 14 (33) | 25 (27) |
| > 60 | 9 (22) | 10 (11) |
| Don’t know | 4 (9) | 6 (7) |
| Access to Specialists | ||
| Yes | 34 (81) | 73 (79) |
| No | 8 (19) | 19 (21) |
| Frequency of being seen by Specialists in previous 6 months | ||
| None | 17 (40) | 27 (29) |
| Once or more | 25 (60) | 65 (71) |
| Access to a regular General Practitioner | ||
| Yes | 8 (19) | 56 (61) |
| No | 34 (81) | 36 (39) |
| Visits to health facility or doctor in previous 6 months | ||
| None | 10 (24) | 4 (4) |
| ≤ 10 times | 30 (71) | 55 (60) |
| 11–20 times | 2 (5) | 17 (19) |
| > 20 | 0 | 16 (17) |
| Challenges experienced in seeking treatment. | ||
| Finances | 20 (48) | 45 (49) |
| Transport | 22 (52) | 39 (42) |
| Other | 0 | 8 (9) |