Factors influencing the intention to engage in cervical cancer preventive behavior in human papillomavirus-infected women: a cross-sectional survey

PURPOSE

This study investigated the influence of cervical cancer knowledge, human papillomavirus (HPV) knowledge, self-efficacy, and uncertainty on the intention to engage in cervical cancer preventive behavior in HPV-infected women.

METHODS

This descriptive correlational study was conducted among 129 adult women aged 20 to 65 years who received positive HPV results at a general hospital in Changwon, Korea. The dataset was analyzed using descriptive statistics, the independent t-test, analysis of variance, the Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple regression.

RESULTS

The mean score for the intention to engage in cervical cancer preventive behavior was high (4.43±0.65). This intention was significantly different according to age at first sexual intercourse (F=7.38, p=.001), HPV type (F=4.79, p=.010), vaccination (t=3.19, p=.002), and condom use (t=3.03, p=.003). The intention to engage in cervical cancer preventive behavior showed significant, weak-to-moderate positive correlations with HPV knowledge (r=.22, p=.012) and self-efficacy (r=.42, p<.001). Self-efficacy (β=.46, p<.001), first sexual intercourse at <20 years (β=.45, p<.001), first sexual intercourse at 20-24 years (β=.29, p=. 018), HPV high- and low-risk group infection (β=.26, p=.019), HPV high-risk group infection (β=.26, p=.026), and vaccination (β=.21, p=.007) significantly influenced the intention to engage in cervical cancer preventive behavior. These variables explained 34.6% of variance in intention.

CONCLUSION

Study findings support the need to develop a program that effectively conveys accurate information about cervical cancer prevention to HPV-infected women and helps them enhance self-efficacy to boost the intention to engage in cervical cancer preventive behavior.

A Study of Pandemic Prevention Health Behavior in Adults

Following the outbreak of COVID-19, the World Health Organization recommended prevention measures to minimize the spread of the pandemic. However, strict compliance with prevention measures requires positive health behavior practices, especially among adults. Therefore, this study investigated adults’ health behaviors in relation to pandemic prevention based on the health belief model (HBM) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB). This study used a structural model, applying the HBM and the TPB to explain and predict pandemic prevention behaviors in adults. The data obtained were statistically analyzed using SPSS 25.0 and AMOS 25.0. The results revealed that, in total, 341 adults (age: 20–64 years; males: 167, females: 174; single: 167; married: 164; divorced: 8) participated in this study. Of the 341 participants, 339 had use of the internet and a smartphone. Furthermore, the results revealed that attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control in relation to pandemic prevention behaviors directly affected people’s intentions to adopt pandemic prevention behaviors. Perceived severity and perceived disability had significant indirect effects on the intention to prevent pandemics; pandemic prevention behavior and perceived behavioral control had a significant effect on pandemic prevention intention. The pandemic prevention education programs suggested in this study have the potential to improve adults’ health behavior in relation to pandemic prevention.

Development and Validation of the Infection Prevention Behavior Scale of Individuals (IPBS-I) for the General Population

Purpose

This study aimed to develop a scale for measuring infection prevention behavior of individuals and to verify its validity and reliability for the general population.

Patients and Methods

The scale items were selected using a literature review on the chain of infection and its content validity. There were 297 study participants, all of whom provided informed consent. Data were collected online from September 3 to September 8, 2020, using Google Survey in Korea. The scale's construct validity was verified through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, criterion validity was Pearson's Correlation, and reliability was tested using Cronbach's alpha.

Results

Twelve items and three factors were selected after a factor and an exploratory factor analysis of 29 scale items. The three factors were pathogen blocking, transmission blocking, and immunity enhancement. A confirmatory factor analysis validated the model goodness of fit, and the convergent validity and discriminant validity of the scale were verified. The correlation coefficient with a scale for respiratory infection prevention practice was 0.69, thereby confirming the criterion validity of the scale. The reliability of the final scale (Cronbach's alpha) was 0.86.

Conclusion

This scale is reflective of the social features of the Korean adult population, and it is easy and concise to be administered to general public, making it useful for subsequent studies on infection prevention.

Understanding of Factors Influencing Happiness of Middle-Aged Women in Korea Based on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

OBJECTIVE

Middle-aged women experience a lot of events of physical changes and various mental conflicts. The purpose of this study is to determine variables related to happiness, and to make and verify the model for happiness of middle-aged women.

METHODS

We constructed conceptual model for happiness of middle-aged women in Korea, based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs. This model consisted of three exogenous variables (health status, financial distress, and social support) and three endogenous variables (selfesteem, positive thinking, and happiness). For middle-aged women in Korea, we returned 442 questionnaires of 460 participants.

RESULTS

Model fit of the modified model was satisfied; χ2=102.108, GFI=0.959, CMIN/DF=2.917, RMSEA=0.068, AGFI=0.922, CFI=0.977, SRMR=0.0368. Happiness was explained by 82% through health status, financial distress, social support, self-esteem, and positive thinking. As Maslow's hierarchy of needs, happiness of middle-aged women is related to basic needs (health status, financial distress, and social support), psychological needs (self-esteem and positive thinking) and self-fulfillment needs (happiness).

CONCLUSION

Our study shows that it is required intervention for meeting basic factor such as health status, financial distress and social support in order to increase happiness of middle-aged women.

Effect of community-based education to Korean mothers in relation to the prevention of cervical cancer in their daughters: A non-randomized trial

AIM

This study was conducted in order to examine the effects of community-based education on cervical cancer prevention in relation to South Korean mothers' knowledge about the Papanicolau (Pap) test and human papillomavirus, self-confidence in communication with their daughters, and health-related beliefs about their daughters.

METHODS

A quasi-experimental pre-post design was used. For the experimental group, face-to-face education was administered to 35 participants for 60 min. For the control group, 35 participants were taught by using standardized materials for 20 min.

RESULTS

The experimental group showed a significant increase in Pap test knowledge, cervical cancer knowledge, and self-confidence in communication with their daughters, compared to the control group. In the post-test, the mothers in the experimental group also perceived cervical cancer as more threatening, their daughter as more susceptible to cervical cancer, Pap tests as being recommended for their daughters, and they showed a significant increase in their self-efficacy of recommending the Pap test to their daughter.

CONCLUSION

Community-based education for mothers is effective in increasing their human papillomavirus knowledge, Pap test knowledge, improving their confidence in communication with their daughters, and in some of the health-related beliefs regarding their daughters.

Factors Influencing HPV-related Infection Preventive Behavioral Intention among Female University Students

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to identify impacts of HPV-related knowledge, attitude to HPV vaccination, and health beliefs on infection preventive behavioral intention targeting female university students.

METHODS

With correlational survey design, subjects of this study were 120 female students at universities located in B metropolitan city and G city. A total sample agreed to participate in the study. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, correlation, and stepwise multiple regression.

RESULTS

Attitude to HPV vaccination, experience of smoking, and HPV-related health beliefs were significant factors influencing the HPV-related infection preventive behavioral intention. These factors accounted for 19.0% of the HPV-related infection preventive behavioral intention.

CONCLUSION

The most significant factor for HPV infection prevention was the attitude to HPV vaccination. These findings may be useful to develop strategies to improve the HPV infection preventive behavioral intention of the female university students who have a high risk of the HPV infection.

[Influences of Hospital Nurses' perceived reciprocity and Emotional Labor on Quality of Nursing Service and Intent to Leave]

PURPOSE

This study was performed to investigate the relationship among reciprocity, emotional labor, nursing service quality and intent to leave, and to identify factors influencing nursing service quality and intent to leave.

METHODS

This study was a cross-sectional survey. Participants were 300 nurses working at five general hospitals in two provincial cities in Gyeongsang Province, Korea. From May 1 to June 30, 2014, data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed with SPSS/PC ver 20.0 programs.

RESULTS

There were relationships between reciprocity and nursing service quality, and intent to leave, and between emotional labor and intent to leave. Participants' general characteristics, reciprocity and emotional labor explained 48.4% of variance in nursing service quality and participants' general characteristics and these two independent variables explained 31.9% of intent to leave.

CONCLUSION

These findings indicate that from the perception of hospital nurses, reciprocity and emotional labor are both very important factors to improve the quality of nursing service and decrease the intent to leave. So nursing managers should try to develop various personnel management programs focused on human emotions, and create a mutual respectable organizational culture and work environment.

The effects of an HPV education program by gender among Korean university students

PURPOSE

This study compared the effects of an HPV education program by gender among Korean university students in terms of their knowledge of HPV, intention to prevent HPV, awareness of sexual rights, and perception of gender equality.

METHODS

A quasi-experimental pre-post design was employed. 31 male and 28 female university students participated in eight sessions of an HPV prevention program for four weeks and in a self-administrative survey.

RESULTS

At pre-test, the perception of gender equality and some of the intentions to prevent HPV, including the intention to make regular use of condoms, reduce the number of sexual partners, abstain from sex until marriage, and stop smoking or stay non-smoker, were lower among men than women. When these differences by gender at pre-test were taken into account using ANCOVA, education outcome measures at post-test did not differ by gender. After completing the HPV prevention program, both male and female students presented a significant increase in terms of HPV knowledge, awareness of sexual rights, and perception of gender equality. Among the intentions to prevent HPV, only male intention to recommend the Pap test to their partner and female intention to regularly seek the Pap test and pelvic examinations were significantly increased after the program.

CONCLUSION

The HPV program was effective for both genders eliminating gender differences in attitudes and prevention intentions of HPV. However, the intentions to prevent HPV did not increase significantly, and future research is warranted to better understand students' perceived obstacles for practicing HPV prevention methods.

Knowledge, attitudes of human papillomavirus vaccine, and intention to obtain vaccine among Korean female undergraduate students

The purpose of this study was to examine knowledge about the human papillomavirus and attitudes toward human papillomavirus and human papillomavirus vaccination among Korean female undergraduate students. Moreover, this study sought to identify factors associated with intention to obtain the human papillomavirus vaccine. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 297 Korean female undergraduate students. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Collected data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, t-test or ANOVA, and stepwise multiple regression analysis. Only 37.8% of the participants were aware of human papillomavirus. The percentage of correct answers for knowledge about human papillomavirus was 40.6%. Factors associated with intention to obtain the human papillomavirus vaccine were: wanting more education about the vaccine, disease severity, knowledge of human papillomavirus, awareness of the human papillomavirus vaccine, human papillomavirus attributes, and susceptibility; these variables accounted 31.6% of the variance in scores for intention to obtain human papillomavirus vaccination. Findings from this study suggested a need for more active education to reduce the risk of human papillomavirus infection among female undergraduate students. Educational programs should be developed and evaluated, specifically focused on disease severity, susceptibility, awareness of human papillomavirus vaccine, and attributes of human papillomavirus.

[Effects of human papillomavirus vaccination education on college women's knowledge, health belief, and preventive behavior intention]

PURPOSE

This study was done to evaluated the effects of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination education on college women's knowledge of HPV, health beliefs (perceived severity and perceived susceptibility), and preventive behavior intention.

METHODS

A nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design with repeated measures was used. Participants were 125 female college students in one university, assigned to an experimental group (72 students) and control group (53 students).

RESULTS

Two weeks after the intervention, the experimental group reported higher scores of knowledge, perceived severity, perceived susceptibility, and preventive behavior intention than the control group. All follow-up scores except intention measured at 5 weeks after the intervention from the experimental group remained still higher than those from the control group.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that the variable of preventive behavior intention which is believed to be the closest predictor of real vaccination rate could be affected by the education, but did not remain at the same level at 5 weeks. Therefore, additional interventions may need to be provided before the educational effect on preventive behavior intention is greatly diminished.