Barriers to Women's Pap Smear Testing and Related Risk Factors in Turkey

Year 2020, Volume: 10 Issue: 3, 203 - 209, 29.09.2020

Seyhan Çankaya , Gamze Yüksel

https://doi.org/10.33808/marusbed.645170

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to identify the barriers to
women's Pap smear testing and related risk factors.

Methods: In this descriptive and cross‐sectional
study, 294 women were included by stratified random sampling. The General
Information Questionnaire, The Self-Efficacy Scale, The Health Belief Model
Scale for Cervical Cancer, and the Pap Smear Test were used.

Results: About half of the women (47.6%) had a Pap smear
test in their lifetime.Residing in a village/non-provincial district (OR = 0.412),
not having a Pap smear test because family members/friends did not have one (OR
= 7.752), having high Barriers subscale scores (OR = 1.053), and having lower
self-efficacy levels (OR = 0.951) were found to be risk factors for having a
Pap smear test.In addition, not knowing the symptoms of cervical cancer,
believing that the cervical cancer is a non-treatable condition, expecting to
experience vaginal infection,not being able to get permission from her husband,
and considering the test as embarrassing were found among the barriers (p < 0.005).

Conclusions: A well designed health education
program focusing on cervical cancer and the benefits of screening would
increase awareness, especially among women with a high educational attainment
status.Public health nurses should provide health educations considering the
local cultural environment. To improve access to health services, mobile health
services need to be developed, and in hospitals, routine Pap smear test health
educations should be conducted and guidance should be provided.

Keywords

cervical cancer, screening, barriers, self-efficacy, health belief model

Thanks

Acknowledgements: We would like to thank all the participants for being a part of this study.

References

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