Attitudes and intention for cervical cancer screening of the unmarried Korean nurses

Attitudes and Intention for Cervical Cancer Screening of the unmarried Korean Nurses

Background :
Cervical cancer is still life threatening women’s cancer in worldwide. As the mortality rate of the cervical cancer has been rapidly decreasing, the target population for cervical cancer prevention is moving from old age group to young age group. Despite of the increase of the sexual activity among the unmarried women, special attention for them are not given sufficiently in Korean society. Especially the nurses are expected to have a role model for the same aged women as well as to perform a preventive cervical cancer practice for themselves.       

Objectives :

Objectives of this study were to identify the relationship between attitudes and intention of the cervical cancer screening among the unmarried hospital nurses in Korea.

Methods :

In a descriptive cross sectional study, sample of 344 nurses working in the hospital in Korea were participated in the study, using a self administered questionnaire. Measurements were including the positive, negative feeling toward Pap smear, intention of the Pap smear, health behaviors, sexual history, and family history.    

Analysis and Results :
The positive feeling toward Pap smear was correlated with sexual partner, HPV information, and family’s histories of the cancer & cervix cancer. And the negative feeling toward Pap smear was correlated with positive feeling of the Pap smear and intention of the Pap smear.   

Recommendations :
Negative feeling toward Pap smear was important factor that should be cooperated into the educational strategies of the cervical cancer prevention for unmarried women,
It is necessary to reduce the negative feeling which interferes with Pap smear intention, and to make their sexual partners support women’s cancer screening, and to enhance the HPV knowledge in relation to cervical cancer. .

acknowlegement “This work was supported by the Korea Research Foundation Grant funded by the Korean Government(MOEHRD) (KRF-2008-531-E00089)“““