Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41664173›Full record

ArticleBMC health services research2026

Integrating the behavior change wheel and co-design approach in selecting strategies for improving cervical cancer screening literacy among rural women living with HIV in Eastern Uganda.

Juliana Namutundu, Miriam Nakalembe, Edith Nakku-Joloba, Juliet Kiguli, Joan Nangendo, Miriam Laker-Oketta, Aggrey Semeere, Rhoda K Wanyenze, Fred C Semitala

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Article in BMC health services research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Juliana NamutunduDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, P.O. Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda. jnamutundu@musph.ac.ug.
Miriam NakalembeDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, P.O. Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda.
Edith Nakku-JolobaDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, P.O. Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda.
Juliet KiguliDepartment of Community Health and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, P.O. Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda.
Joan NangendoClinical Epidemiology Unit, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, P.O. Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda.
Miriam Laker-OkettaInfectious Diseases Institute, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, P.O. Box 22418, Kampala, Uganda.
Aggrey SemeereInfectious Diseases Institute, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, P.O. Box 22418, Kampala, Uganda.
Rhoda K WanyenzeDepartment of Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, P.O. Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda.
Fred C SemitalaMakerere University Joint AIDS Program (MJAP), P.O. Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWomen living with HIV (WLHIV) require more frequent cervical cancer screening than HIV negative women. However, uptake of cervical cancer screening services integrated into HIV care at most rural public health facilities in Eastern Uganda is low, below 50%. This is attributed to low cervical cancer screening literacy among rural WLHIV: limited ability to access, understand, and apply cervical cancer screening information. There is a need for evidence-based, context-specific, theory-informed strategies that target multi-level barriers and facilitators of cervical cancer literacy among these women. This study used research evidence, theory, and stakeholder engagement in selecting strategies for improving cervical cancer screening literacy among rural WLHIV.

methodsThis qualitative study applied research evidence to the Behavior Change Wheel (BCW) and co-design approach. The eight steps of the BCW included: 1) defining the problem in behavioral terms, 2) selecting the target behavior, 3) specifying the target behavior, 4) identifying what needs to change, 5) identifying intervention functions, 6) identifying policy categories, 7) identifying Behavior Change Techniques (BCT), and 8) identifying the mode of delivery. We conducted four parallel co-design sessions with 12 health care providers and 16 rural women at steps 3 and 4 of the BCW.

resultsWe formulated eighteen behavioral targets that were linked to all Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation-Behavior (COM-B) behavioral determinants. Nine behavioral targets were selected under the education, persuasion, enablement, and training intervention functions, as well as the communication/marketing and service provision policy categories. We identified ten most appropriate BCTs and four modes of delivery, which translated into four strategies, namely: 1) trained cervical cancer screening peer educators, 2) cervical cancer screening education video, 3) improved cervical cancer screening IEC charts, and 4) train midwives to prepare small portions of acetic acid for individual patient screening.

conclusionsThe BCW provided a comprehensive framework that integrated a co-design approach and applied research evidence in selecting context-specific and feasible strategies for improving cervical cancer screening literacy among rural WLHIV. Future research is needed to design and evaluate these strategies.

Indexed as

Early Detection of CancerHealth LiteracyHIV InfectionsUterine Cervical NeoplasmsAdultFemaleHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeHumansMiddle AgedQualitative ResearchRural PopulationUgandaBehavior Change WheelCo-design approachImproving cervical cancer screening literacyRural women living with HIVSelecting strategies

Identifiers

PMID41664173
PMCPMC12983610

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.