Effect of Cancer Information Overload and Cancer Worry on Women's Attitudes Towards Cervical Cancer and Pap Smear Screening: A Cross-Sectional Study

Ozkan N., USLU ŞAHAN F., Demir M. B.

INDIAN JOURNAL OF GYNECOLOGIC ONCOLOGY, sa.4, 2024 (ESCI) identifier

Özet

Purpose This study aims to investigate the effect of cancer information overload and cancer worry on women's attitudes towards cervical cancer and Pap smear screening. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 340 women using purposeful sampling. Data were collected using a participant information form, the Health Belief Model Scale for Cervical Cancer and Pap Smear Test (HBM-CCPST), the Cancer Information Overload Scale (CIOS), and the Cancer Worry Scale (CWS). The data were analyzed by conducting independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and multiple linear regression analysis. Results The mean scores of participants in the HBM-CCPST subdimensions were as follows: 7.47 +/- 2.39 (range = 3-15) for perceived susceptibility, 22.68 +/- 6.00 (range = 7-35) for perceived seriousness, 32.18 +/- 5.85 (range = 8-40) for perceived Pap smear benefits, 9.50 +/- 2.65 (range = 3-15) for perceived health motivation, and 35.79 +/- 10.08 (range = 14-70) for perceived Pap smear barriers.
The CIOS score of the participants was 18.66 +/- 4.10 (range = 8-32), and the CWS score was 15.83 +/- 5.02 (range = 8-32). Regression analysis revealed that CWS significantly predicted perceived susceptibility (R-2 = 0.103, p 0.001), perceived seriousness (R-2 = 0.150, p 0.001), perceived Pap smear benefits (R-2 = 0.025, p = 0.013), and perceived health motivation (R-2 = 0.015, p = 0.045). A one-unit increase in CWS increased perceived susceptibility by 0.158 units, perceived seriousness by 0.449 units, perceived Pap smear benefits by 0.159 units, and perceived health motivation by 0.059 units. The CIOS significantly predicted perceived Pap smear barriers (R-2 = 0.232, p 0.001), with a one-unit increase in CIOS increasing perceived Pap smear barriers by 1.140 units. ConclusionsThese findings emphasize the importance of addressing cancer information overload and cancer worry in interventions to improve women's perceptions and compliance with Pap smear tests.