Validating Rural Women's Intentions and Behaviors to Participate in Two- Cancer Screening Using Extended Protection Motivation Theory in an Area of Mongolian Agglomeration

Abstract

Abstract Background Local rural women in Inner Mongolia are deeply influenced by the Mongolian ethnic culture. Compared with other regions, rural women in areas where the Mongolian ethnic group is concentrated have a weaker awareness of participating in screening for the two cancers. The study investigated the factors influencing rural women's intentions and behaviors to participate in two-cancer screening in Mongolian agglomerations and verified the feasibility of extending the theoretical hypothesis model of protection motivation. Methods A cross-sectional study consisting of 1015 rural women was conducted from January to April 2023 in Wulashan Town, Ulatqian Banner, Bayannur City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. This study intends to use descriptive statistics to count demographic characteristics and test the hypothesized relationships among variables in the Extended Protection Theory Model (E-PMT) by Boots tracts. Designing a NIMHD Multilevel Approach to Measuring and Addressing Differences in Two-Cancer Screening to Effectively Reduce Screening Disparities and Improve Health Equity. Results Technical service support, perceived risk, response efficacy, response cost, and self-efficacy directly affect behavioral intentions; financial support, social support, and fear arousal directly affect behaviors; and environmental improvements both directly affect behavioral intentions and have a direct effect on behaviors. Policy support, screening knowledge, and health education indirectly affect behavioral intentions through self-efficacy; screening knowledge indirectly affects behavioral intentions through response costs; and health education indirectly affects behavioral intentions through perceived risk. The extended model data were well fitted: SRMR = 0.079; NFI = 0.703; RMS theta = 0.110. Conclusion The Extended Theoretical Model of Protective Motivation (E-TPB) is a sound theoretical basis for predicting the intentions and behaviors of rural women in Mongolian agglomerations to participate in two-cancer screening, and the results of the study effectively reduced disparities in two-cancer screening among rural women in Mongolian agglomerations and promoted health equity.