Exploring Chinese Women's Perception of Cervical Cancer Risk as It Impacts Screening Behavior: A Qualitative Study.
Can Gu, Wei-Ti Chen, Qiue Zhang and 4 others
PMID 27281034WHAT IT FOUND
Chinese women in Changsha saw cervical cancer as deadly and sometimes shameful but rated their own risk low.
Women said screening followed a friend or relative's cancer and workplace exams more than personal risk perception.
Key findings
01Most women saw cervical cancer as serious, yet rated their own risk as low.
02Women said personal risk perception alone did not motivate screening; workplace or community exams and a friend or relative's cancer were stronger prompts.
03Women linked cervical cancer to shame about sexual behavior, damaged sexual and marital relationships, and family burden.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Twenty-seven women, mostly employed urban residents, limit generalizability. The study cannot show that risk perception caused screening because it was retrospective. Screened and nonscreened women did not differ in risk appraisal variables. The interviewer was a clinician in the setting, which may have affected honesty. It is a qualitative perception study, not a test of an intervention or screening program.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that raising perceived risk will increase screening. The women generally rated their own risk low, screened and nonscreened women did not differ in risk appraisal, and screening was linked to others' cancer and organized exams.