{
  "abstract": "Background Cervical cancer remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among women in Ghana, yet screening coverage is extremely low and organised national programmes are limited. Although several studies have examined determinants of screening, no comprehensive synthesis has summarised the evidence to guide effective policy and intervention design.Objective To synthesise existing evidence on determinants of cervical screening in Ghana and identify opportunities to strengthen national screening strategies.Design This is a systematic review conducted following Aromataris and Pearson’s methodology and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Searches across PubMed Central, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus and grey literature (January 2000–July 2025) identified studies reporting barriers and facilitators of cervical screening in Ghana. Risk of bias was assessed using standard appraisal tools.Setting This study was conducted in the context of Ghana.Results Of 7833 records screened, 32 studies met inclusion criteria. Barriers to cervical screening spanned individual, interpersonal, health system, socio-cultural and structural factors, including poor knowledge, fear, limited access, financial constraints and social norms. Facilitators included knowledge and awareness, provider recommendation, social support, positive health perceptions, healthcare access and cost-related enablers. Overall, 23 studies were rated low risk of bias, while nine were rated moderate risk of bias.Conclusion Cervical screening behaviour in Ghana is influenced by structural, cultural, psychological and informational factors. The reviewed evidence suggests that these determinants do not operate in isolation but interact in ways that may vary across contexts and populations.OSF registration number https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/M4XKT.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Nursing and Midwifery, Department of Adult Health, University of Cape Coast College of Health and Allied Sciences, Cape Coast, Ghana"
      ],
      "name": "Godswill Sedinam Lanyo"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Nursing and Midwifery, Department of Adult Health, University of Cape Coast College of Health and Allied Sciences, Cape Coast, Ghana"
      ],
      "name": "Bernard Nabe"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Nursing and Midwifery, Department of Public Health Nursing, University of Cape Coast College of Health and Allied Sciences, Cape Coast, Ghana"
      ],
      "name": "Abigail Opokua Tutu"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Nursing and Midwifery, Department of Adult Health, University of Cape Coast College of Health and Allied Sciences, Cape Coast, Ghana"
      ],
      "name": "Mildred Awinpiini Asore"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Nursing and Midwifery, Department of Adult Health, University of Cape Coast College of Health and Allied Sciences, Cape Coast, Ghana"
      ],
      "name": "Abigail Gyamfi-Samakome"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Nursing and Midwifery, Department of Public Health Nursing, University of Cape Coast College of Health and Allied Sciences, Cape Coast, Ghana"
      ],
      "name": "Grace Atitsogbey"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "St. Mathew’s Catholic Hospital, Ampenkro, Ahafo, Ghana"
      ],
      "name": "Pius Nyator"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Nursing and Midwifery, Department of Adult Health, University of Cape Coast College of Health and Allied Sciences, Cape Coast, Ghana"
      ],
      "name": "Valis Boateng Howe"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Biomedical and Clinical Research Centre, University of Cape Coast College of Health and Allied Sciences, Cape Coast, Ghana"
      ],
      "name": "Mustapha Amoadu"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Nursing and Midwifery, Department of Public Health Nursing, University of Cape Coast College of Health and Allied Sciences, Cape Coast, Ghana"
      ],
      "name": "Nancy Innocentia Ebu Enyan"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Determinants of cervical screening in Ghana: a systematic review",
  "uid": "93b815a9-31ca-5aec-bede-88eb4f2366a1"
}