Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Women's knowledge and attitudes towards cer vical cancer prevention: A cross sectional 
study in Eastern Uganda  
 
Version: 1 Date: 08 Jun 2016  
 
Reviewer: Alejandra Castanon  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
Dear editors,  
 
Thank you for the opportunity to review the manuscript by Mukama et al titled "Women's 
knowledge and attitudes towards cervical cancer and screening: A cross sectional study in  
Eastern Uganda." I found the article to be well written and referenced.  
I have several major comments and a few minor ones which the authors may choose to disregard  
 
Major  
Abstract:  
The numbers in the abstract do not match the text. Below I have stated the sentences which need 
updating  
Most 562 (62.4%) knew at least one preventive measure and 743 (82.6%) at least one symptom 
or sign of the disease.  
Majority …….., a disease most 852 (9 4.7%) thought…..  
Living in peri -urban areas (AOR = 1.62, p<0.001), urban area (AOR = 3.64, p<0.001), having 
lower monthly income (please see comment below) and having ever tested for HIV (AOR=1.99, 
p<0.001)  
Line 207: results for those who earn less the 40  dollars per month. I suggest the reference 
category in Table 4 is changed to high income so that you can present the OR 2.0 quoted in the 
abstract in the table and in the text.  
The authors state that they have considered variables to be added to the adjus ted model if the 
significance <0.15 at bivariate level and biological plausibility. They should also add a footnote 
to Table 4 or in indicate in the text which variables met this criteria and were adjusted for in the 
model.  
Line 196 and 197: why were women  asked separately whether they knew about cytology 
screening and the pap smear test - surely these are the same thing? Please clarify  
Line 209: should read "HIV were two times (AOR=1.99, p=0.001)…"  
 
Minor  
Line 103: typo "combine" should be combined  
I sugges t the first sentence of the results should be "A total of 900 women were interviewed."  
The legend and footnote for Figure one remain in the middle of the text (line 198 and 199) but 
the figure is at the end of the document.  
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in  your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Unable to assess  
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects req uire further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publi cation of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you curr ently applying for any patents relating to the content of the  
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any  other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare that I have no competing interests  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understand that my name will be included  
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publication, my named repo rt 
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors'  
responses. I agree for my report to be made available under an Open Access Creative Commons  
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understan d that any comments  
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be included as confidential comments  
to the editors, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal