Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2009 Jul-Sep;10(3):345-50.
Knowledge about cervical cancer risk factors and pap testing behaviour
among Turkish women.
Uysal A, Birsel A.
Department of Public Health Nursing, Ege University School of Nursing, Izmir, Turkey.
uysal_aynur@yahoo.com
BACKGROUND: The aim of the paper was to examine knowledge about cervical cancer and in relation to
Papanicolaou (Pap) testing among Turkish women. METHODS: This cross-sectional study research was
carried out at Ege University Faculty of Medicine Hospital's Obstetric and Gynecology Outpatient Clinic
between March 1st, and May 30th, 2008 with 92 volunteer women who were sexually active and aged 25 to
61. Data was collected through survey forms by interviews conducted by researchers. The form consisted of
30 questions and three parts. RESULTS: Of the women who participated in the research, 33.7 % were aged
42-49 and 44.6 % were primary school graduates. It was determined that 53.3 % of the women had long
experience of living in a province and big city and that 82.6 % had middle income. Approximately two-thirds
(68.5%) had received a Pap test. The knowledge of the women within the scope of the research concerning
cervical cancer risk factors (having a sexually transmitted disease, giving birth to many children, smoking,
having sexual activity with a man who has had partners with a cervical cancer and having sexual intercourse
at an early age) was found to be related with their condition of having pap testing. CONCLUSION: The
women's condition of having pap testing is influenced by their age group, having a history of cancer in their
family and having knowledge of cervical cancer in advance (p <0.01). This research once again
demonstrated that having knowledge is influential on the habit of having pap testing. Taking this conclusion
into consideration, it is crucial that information services aimed at the whole society, specifically women,
should become widespread with the participation of health workers.
PMID: 19640170 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19640170
Ethn Health. 2009 Dec;14(6):575-89.
Pap smear receipt among Vietnamese immigrants: the importance of
health care factors.
Taylor VM, Yasui Y, Nguyen TT, Woodall E, Do HH, Acorda E, Li L, Choe J, Jackson JC.
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Division of Public Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA.
vtaylor@fhcrc.org
OBJECTIVE: Recent US data indicate that women of Vietnamese descent have higher cervical cancer
incidence rates than women of any other race/ethnicity, and lower levels of Pap testing than white, black,
and Latina women. Our objective was to provide information about Pap testing barriers and facilitators that
could be used to develop cervical cancer control intervention programs for Vietnamese American women.
DESIGN: We conducted a cross-sectional, community-based survey of Vietnamese immigrants. Our study
was conducted in metropolitan Seattle, Washington, DC. A total of 1532 Vietnamese American women
participated in the study. Demographic, health care, and knowledge/belief items associated with previous
cervical cancer screening participation (ever screened and screened according to interval screening
guidelines) were examined. RESULTS: Eighty-one percentage of the respondents had been screened for
cervical cancer in the previous three years. Recent Pap testing was strongly associated (p<0.001) with
having a regular doctor, having a physical in the last year, previous physician recommendation for testing,
and having asked a physician for testing. Women whose regular doctor was a Vietnamese man were no
more likely to have received a recent Pap smear than those with no regular doctor. CONCLUSION: Our
findings indicate that cervical cancer screening disparities between Vietnamese and other racial/ethnic
groups are decreasing. Efforts to further increase Pap smear receipt in Vietnamese American communities
should enable women without a source of health care to find a regular provider. Additionally, intervention
programs should improve patient-provider communication by encouraging health care providers (especially
male Vietnamese physicians serving women living in ethnic enclaves) to recommend Pap testing, as well as
by empowering Vietnamese women to specifically ask their physicians for Pap testing.
PMID: 19626504 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19626504
Prev Med. 2009 Aug;49(1):48-53. Epub 2009 May 22.
Predicting the stages of adoption of cervical cancer screening among
Korean women.
Kwak MS, Choi KS, Spring BJ, Park S, Park EC.
National Cancer Control Institute, National Cancer Center, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.
OBJECTIVE: We examined the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of behavioral change based on cervical
cancer screening among Korean women. We assessed the stages of Pap smear adoption, positive and
negative attitudes toward Pap smear, and contributory factors. METHOD: This study was based on the 2007
Korean National Cancer Screening Survey, which included a total of 1224 women > or =30 years. Multiple
logistic analyses were conducted to determine the factors that influenced the women's stages of adoption.
RESULTS: Fifty-seven percent of the women reported on-schedule screening while 43% did not. Those
subjects who were 50-64 years old, had higher incomes, married, lived in a rural area, exercised regularly,
and had regular checkups were more likely to be in maintenance than in precontemplation. However, the
con scores were negatively associated with a transition from precontemplation to maintenance. Further, a
high con score was associated with being in relapse risk or relapse rather than in maintenance while the pro
scores were not significant across the stages of adoption. CONCLUSION: Our results confirm the
applicability of the TTM to Pap smear screening in an Asian context. Age, income, marital status, residency,
regular exercise, health checkups, and con scores were significantly associated with the stage of adoption.
PMID: 19465046 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19465046
Int J Gynecol Cancer. 2009 Apr;19(3):412-6.
Cervical cancer screening among college students in ghana: knowledge
and health beliefs.
Abotchie PN, Shokar NK.
Center for Health Promotion & Prevention Research, University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston,
77030, USA. Peter.N.Abotchie@uth.tmc.edu
BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is the most incident cancer and the leading cause of cancer mortality in
women in Ghana. Currently, little is known about Ghanaian women's knowledge and beliefs about cervical
cancer screening, yet this information is essential to the success of cervical cancer screening programs.
Therefore, the purpose of this study was to describe the knowledge and beliefs of female university college
students in Ghana. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey among college women in a university in Ghana
elicited information about sociodemographics, knowledge and beliefs, and acceptability of cervical cancer
screening, screening history, and sexual history. Bivariate analyses were conducted to identify factors
associated with screening. RESULTS: One hundred forty women were recruited; the age range was 20 to
35 years. The prior Papanicolaou (Pap) screening rate was 12.0%. The women were unaware of local
screening initiatives, and only 7.9% were aware of the link between human papillomavirus and cervical
cancer. The most prevalent barriers were lack of awareness that the purpose of Pap screening is to
diagnose cancer, concerns about what others may think, and lack of information about how to obtain
screening services. Although women perceived the benefits of screening, only about half perceived
themselves to be at risk. Women received few screening cues. Three barriers were negatively associated
with screening in bivariate analyses: lack of belief that cancer is diagnosed by cervical screening, belief that
Pap test is painful, and belief that the test will take away virginity. CONCLUSION: New screening programs
in Ghana should address these barriers and increase screening cues to the public.
PMID: 19407569 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19407569
Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2009 Aug;103(8):852-4. Epub 2009 Apr 23.
Improved awareness of Pap smear may not affect its use in Nigeria: a
case study of female medical practitioners in Enugu, southeastern
Nigeria.
Dim CC, Ekwe E, Madubuko T, Dim NR, Ezegwui HU.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu,
400001, Nigeria. dyme72@yahoo.com
Improved awareness of Pap test by Nigerian women may not necessarily increase its use. This hypothesis
was tested using female medical practitioners in Enugu state, Nigeria. They were expected to be advocates
of disease screening and therefore should lead by example. All respondents were aware of the Pap smear
but only 18% had used it. The mean frequency of Pap smear was 1.8+/-1.2 (range 1-5). Repeat Pap tests
were observed only among respondents that had screened as routine. The majority (32%) of those who
never screened for cervical cancer had no reason. There may be more to the use of Pap smear among
women in Nigeria than its awareness.
PMID: 19394990 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19394990
