Abstract
Cervical cancer is known as one of the most prevalent types of cancers and a major public health problem in developing countries which can be detected by Pap test, prevented, and treated. Despite the effective role of Pap test in decreasing the incidence and mortality due to cervical cancer, it is still one the most common causes of cancer-related deaths among women, especially in developing countries. Thus, this study aimed to examine the effect of educational interventions implemented by health volunteers based on protection motivation theory (PMT) on promoting Pap test use among women. This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 60 health volunteers and 420 women. The study participants were divided into an intervention and a control group. Data were collected using a valid self-reported questionnaire including demographic variables and PMT constructs which was completed by both groups before and 2 months after the intervention. Then, the data were entered into the SPSS statistical software, version 19 and were analyzed using Chi-square test, independent T-test, and descriptive statistical methods. P<0.05 was considered as statistically significant. The findings of this study showed that the mean scores of PMT constructs (i.e. perceived vulnerability, perceived severity, fear, response-costs, self-efficacy, and intention) increased in the intervention group after the intervention (P<0.001). However, no significant difference was found between the two groups regarding response efficacy after the intervention (P=0.06). The rate of Pap test use also increased by about 62.9% among the study women. This study showed a significant positive relationship between PMT-based training and Pap test use. The results also revealed the successful contribution of health volunteers to training cervical cancer screening. Thus, training interventions based on PMT are suggested to be designed and implemented and health volunteers are recommended to be employed for educational purposes and promoting the community's, especially women's, health.
Highlights
Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women worldwide (Asonganyi et al, 2013) and more than 85% of the cases have reported in developing countries (Jemal et al, 2011)
This study aimed to examine the effect of educational interventions implemented by health volunteers based on protection motivation theory (PMT) on promoting Pap test use among women
The results revealed the successful contribution of health volunteers to training cervical cancer screening
Summary
The first step to design an educational program is selecting an appropriate and effective theory or model (Jalilian et al, 2011) In this regard, the constructs of Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) are highly important in predicting cancer prevention behaviors (Jowzi et al, 2013) and describing screening behaviors, such as cervical screening (Hassani et al, 2014). Rogers suggested that fear could positively affect protection motivation (intentions) according to five constructs, namely perceived vulnerability, perceived severity, response costs, response efficacy, and selfefficacy (Jowzi et al, 2013) This theory has been used in few studies, such as those by Fry and Prentice-Dunn, 2006; Baghianimoghadam et al, 2011; Dehdari et al, 2014; Ghahremani et al, 2014. The present study aims to evaluate the role of health volunteers in promoting cervical screening behaviors based on PMT among women in Fasa, Fars province, Iran in 2014
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