Women’s Readiness to Conduct Pap Smear Test at Primary Health Care Centers in Baghdad City: The Health Belief Model as A Theoretical Framework

Abstract

Background: Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in low and middle-income
countries. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) gauges that the frequency of cervical
disease will increment by 75% worldwide by 2030.
Method: This descriptive correlational study was carried out to examine women’s readiness to perform
Pap smear test. to (1) assess women’s readiness to perform Pap Smear test, (2) identify the association
between woman’s age, family’s socioeconomic status, gravidity, parity, abortion, and their Stages of Change
for conducting Pap Smear test, the Perceived Susceptibility to contract cervical cancer, the Perceived
Seriousness of cervical cancer, the Perceived Barriers to conduct Pap Smear test, the Perceived Benefits of
conducting Pap Smear Test, and the Health Motivation to conducting Pap Smear Test, and (3) investigate the
differences in the Perceived Susceptibility to contract cervical cancer, the Perceived Seriousness of cervical
cancer, the Perceived Barriers to conduct Pap Smear test, the Perceived Benefits of conducting Pap Smear
Test, and the Health Motivation to conducting Pap Smear Test between the groups of the Stages of Change
for conducting Pap Smear test woman’s level of education, family’s socioeconomic class, and family type.
Results: The target population of this study was selected from adult, married women on social media. The
SR used a self-reported online survey for data collection. The SR prepared the online survey and published
its link on the social media pages and groups, where the study objectives were demonstrated to study subjects
Conclusion: Most of the women are precontemplators. The older the age, the greater the Susceptibility
to contracting cervical cancer and the better the family’s socioeconomic status, the greater the greater
Susceptibility to contracting cervical cancer.