The socioeconomic burden of a diagnosis of cervical cancer in women in rural Uganda: findings from a descriptive qualitative study

Aim: The aim of the study was to diagnose the socioeconomic burden and impact of a diagnosis of cervical cancer in rural women in the context of a low-resourced country, Uganda, through a descriptive qualitative enquiry. Methods: This was a multi-site descriptive qualitative inquiry, conducted at three hospice settings; Mobile Hospice Mbarara in the Southwest, Little Hospice Hoima in Midwest, and Hospice Africa Uganda Kampala in Central Uganda. A purposive sample of women with a histologically confirmed diagnosis of cervical cancer were recruited. Data were collected using open-ended audio- recorded interviews conducted in the native languages of the participants. Interviews were transcribed verbatim in English. Braun and Clarke's (2019) framework of thematic analysis was used. Results: A total of 13 women, with mean age 49.2 years (range 29-71), participated in the study. All participants were of low socioeconomic status. The majority (84.6%) had advanced disease at diagnosis. A detailed reading of transcripts produced three major themes: (1) the impact of cervical cancer on women's relationships (2) the disrupted and impaired activities of daily living (ADLs), and (3) economic disruptions. Conclusions: A diagnosis of cervical cancer introduces significant socioeconomic disruptions in a woman's and her family's life. Cervical cancer causes disability, impairs the woman and her family's productivity and exacerbates levels of poverty in the home. High and expensive out-of-pocket expenditure on investigations, treatments and transport costs further compound the socioeconomic burden.