Women's pap smear test status, healthy lifestyle behaviors and attitudes towards early diagnosis of cervical cancer

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the women's pap smear test status, healthy lifestyle behaviors and attitudes towards early diagnosis of cervical cancer. Method: This descriptive study was conducted with a total of 267 women. The 'Descriptive Characteristics Questionnaire', the 'Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Scale-II (HLBS-II) and the Attitude towards Early Diagnosis of Cervical Cancer Scale (ATEDCCS) were used to collect the data. Results: The rate of having pap smear test among women participating in the study was found to be 33%. It was determined that the health responsibility levels of working and highly-educated women, and women who routinely have gynecological examinations have high levels of attitude towards early diagnosis of cervical cancer. In addition, a positive relationship has been found between healthy lifestyle behaviors and the level of attitude towards early diagnosis of cervical cancer. Conclusion: The results obtained from the study/research show that women do not have enough information about the pap smear test and the rate of women having pap smear test is not at the desired level. In order to improve the attitudes of women towards early diagnosis of cervical cancer in a positive way and to increase the rate of having pap smear test, there is a need to organize public education activities on the subject, especially in primary health care institutions.