A Cross-Sectional Study of the Effects of Husband Support and Health Information Exposure on Women's Uptake of Cervical Screening in Community Health Centers

Abstract

Cervical cancer screening through methods such as visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) is a low-cost early detection tool in low- and middle-income settings. Yet uptake among eligible women remains suboptimal. Health information exposure and husband support are hypothesized as key determinants of screening participation. This study examines the relationship between exposure to health information and husband support with women’s participation in cervical screening at community health centers. A quantitative observational design with a cross-sectional approach was used. A total of 120 women aged 25–49 years were recruited by stratified random sampling from two community health centers in East Java, Indonesia. Data were collected using validated questionnaires on information exposure (10 items), husband support (emotional, informational, instrumental support, 15 items), and screening participation (binary outcome: ever screened vs never). Statistical analyses included Spearman’s correlation and logistic regression (α = 0.05). Among respondents, 78% had good exposure to cervical cancer screening information, 65% reported supportive husband behaviors, while 58% had ever undergone screening. Spearman’s correlation showed significant association between information exposure and screening uptake (ρ = 0.46, p < 0.001), and husband support and screening (ρ = 0.38, p < 0.001). In multivariate logistic regression adjusting for age, education, and parity, women with high information exposure had 2.8 times higher odds of screening (OR = 2.81; 95% CI 1.45–5.43), and those receiving moderate-to-strong husband support had 2.2 times higher odds (OR = 2.20; 95% CI 1.12–4.30).