Asian Journal of Medical Principles and Clinical Practice

Background: Cervical dysplasia remains an important preventable precursor of cervical cancer, particularly in low- and middle-income settings where screening uptake, early detection, and follow-up care remain uneven. Lifestyle behaviours and reproductive exposures may contribute to cervical abnormalities by influencing infection exposure, immune response, health-seeking behaviour, and persistence of cervical risk conditions.

Objective: This study examined lifestyle and reproductive risk factors associated with cervical dysplasia among women attending selected clinics at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Rivers State, Nigeria.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was adopted. The study population comprised women aged 20–60 years attending selected clinics at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital. A sample of 384 women was selected using a simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and cervical screening procedures, including Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid and Pap smear cytology. The instrument was validated by experts, while reliability was determined through the test–retest method, which yielded a coefficient of 0.79. Data were analysed using SPSS version 27. Frequencies, percentages, chi-square tests, and binary logistic regression were applied at the 0.05 level of significance.

Results: The findings showed that the type of sexually transmitted infection (p < .001), HIV status (p < .001), smoking status (p = .013), and family history of cervical cancer (p = .022) were significantly associated with cervical dysplasia, whereas occupation (p = .603) and alcohol consumption (p = .553) were not significantly associated with the condition. In the adjusted lifestyle model, smoking status (p = .049) and type of sexually transmitted infection (p = .012) significantly predicted cervical dysplasia. Among reproductive factors, parity (p = .010), age at first childbirth (p = .034), age at first intercourse (p < .001), and number of sexual partners (p = .003) were significantly associated with cervical dysplasia. In the adjusted reproductive model, only age at first intercourse remained a significant predictor (p = .015).

Conclusion: Cervical dysplasia among women in Rivers State was associated with selected lifestyle and reproductive risk factors, particularly sexually transmitted infection type, HIV status, smoking exposure, family history of cervical cancer, parity, age at first childbirth, age at first intercourse, and number of sexual partners. Cervical screening services should incorporate risk assessment, counselling on modifiable exposures, strengthened sexually transmitted infection management, and follow-up care for women with identified risk factors.