From Awareness to Action: A Model-Based Cancer Education Program for Anganwadi Workers in Karnataka

Background: In India, breast and cervical cancers continue to be among the leading causes of death in women. Limited awareness and delays in seeking medical help worsen survival outcomes. Anganwadi workers, who serve as community-level educators through the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), are in a unique position to spread cancer awareness, but this role remains largely untapped. Aims &Objectives: To measure baseline knowledge and attitudes of Anganwadi workers toward breast and cervical cancer and to determine the effect of a structured health education program. Methods: A pre–post interventional study was carried out among 180 Anganwadi workers in Belagavi Taluka, Karnataka. Knowledge and attitude levels were assessed using a validated tool. Participants attended a one-hour interactive session that included a lecture, demonstration, and distribution of pamphlets in the local language. Follow-up assessment was conducted one month later. Data were analyzed in SPSS v22, and paired comparisons were made using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: Before the intervention, 88.3% of participants showed poor knowledge and 69.1% demonstrated poor attitudes. After the program, knowledge improved to 91.7% and positive attitudes to 89.5%, both changes being statistically significant (p < 0.001). Conclusion: A structured educational program markedly improved knowledge and attitudes of Anganwadi workers. Incorporating such training within ICDS could help convert a missed opportunity into an effective public health strategy for early cancer awareness and detection.