The Relationship between Health Belief Model and Cervical Cancer Screening

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study is to determine the effect of health beliefs and knowledge levels on cervical cancer screening.
METHODS: This is a cross-sectional-analytic study. It was carried out at Quran courses in the Sultanbeyli District of Istanbul between February 2019 and July 2019. All women aged between 18 and 65 who participated in the training and agreed to participate in the study were recruited. A sociodemographic and reproductive health information survey form and a test for detection of knowledge level, the “Cervical Cancer and Papanicolaou (PAP)-Smear Test Health Belief Model Scale” were applied.
RESULTS: A total of 282 participants, the mean age was 43.3±12.4 years. The frequency of having a PAP-smear test was 113 (41.9%). The barriers subscale scores of the participants who had not been tested for cervical cancer were higher than those who had been tested (39.0±10.5 vs. 34.2±7.9, p=0.002).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: In our study, the PAP-smear test rate was low, but this rate was higher in women with high education levels. It is expected that mortality and morbidity will decrease while avoiding barriers with the help of trainings to increase the level of knowledge and awareness.