Reviewer ’s report  
Title: Knowledge of Cervical Cancer and Pap Smears in Uyghur Women from Xinjiang, China  
 
Version: 0 Date: 23 Jan 2017  
 
Reviewer: Katherine Roland  
 
Reviewer's report:  
This is an interesting study, but overall I found the manuscript to be lacking critical detail 
regarding methodology, and suitable framing of the study findings.  
 
Background:  
First sentence -is this a  global statistic? Or China's annual incidence rate?  
Second paragraph, should consider providing more detail on the rural/urban differences in health 
outcomes for in China and this region.  
Page 10, line 4 - do all the Uyghur self -report their primary relig ious affiliation as Muslim? Need 
to include a citation here.  
Line 12, what is "rough screening"? I'm unfamiliar with this term. Please add citation for the 
incidence.  
Line 34 needs a reference.  
 
Methods:  
How long did it take to collect data from 7100 women?  24 months? Was the content of the study 
only focused on cervical cancer? How long did the survey take to complete? Were all women in 
the 2 sample counties approached? What was the response rate? What was the study protocol if 
the trained recruiter was not  able to locate a woman in the residence? What is the total 
population of eligible women in these 2 counties? how many trained recruiters were there to 
collect data? Were all recruiters doctors? Were they medical doctors? That seems incredible 
resource int ensive -to have doctors take surveys from 7100 women living in a rural area. Were 
these surveys collected during regular, routine primary care home visits? Why were doctors used 
to collect data, and not nurses or community health workers? Were incentives pr ovided to the 
participants? Was the survey open ended or multiple choice? If open ended, how were data 
coded and analyzed? Was pap test history assessed in these women? Is healthcare assessable for 
this population? What is the role of the husband in women' s healthcare?  
Results: Does not seem necessary to use 2 decimal points in the percentages.  
Page 11, section 5. Correlation. - I'm not sure what the first sentence means.  
Discussion - The second sentence is very confusing, needs citations, and to be comple ted.  
 
Table 1 seems to be missing the description of the 5 items that are being analyzed  
There are entirely too many figures. Yes/No questions do not need graphical representation. 1a -
1d, 2a -2d, 2g should be deleted.  
Figure 3 is missing x and y axis descr iptions.  
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
No 
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 author s. 
No 
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 require further 
assessment in your comments to the edito rs. 
I recommend additional statistical review  
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
Not suitable for publication unless extensively edited  
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of c ompeting 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 publication 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 currently applying for any patents rel ating 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 interes ts? 
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 b elow.  
 
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