J Nurs Acad Soc.  1982 Jun;12(1):25-38.

A Study for Investigating of Predictors of Compliance for Preventive Health Behavior: centered on early detection of cervical cancer

• Lee JK

Abstract

As technological civilization and medical science has developed, standards of living have improved and human life expectancy has been extended. But the incidence and mortality rate of cancer have been gradually increasing due to the pollution of the environment. Even though cancer is still a great threat to human beings, the etiology and appropriate cure for cancer have not yet been discovered. The early detection and treatment of cancer is urgently needed. This study concentrates on the health behavior of woman regarding the papanicolau smear for early detection of cervical cancer. It was done in order to provide a direction for scientific health education materials by investigating predictors of preventive health behavior. The subjects for this study were made up of 54 woman, who comply with preventive health practices(compliant) who attended the Cervical Cancer Center of Y University Hospital in order to have tests for early detection of cervical cancer and 54 woman who did not comply with preventive health practices (noncompliant) selected from 100 housewives of E apartment, Kang Nam Ku, Seoul. The study method used, was a questionnaire for the compliance group and an interview for the noncompliance group. The period for data collection was from October 13th to October 24th. 1981. Analysis of the data was done using percentages, T-test, Pearson Correlation and Stepwise Multiple Regression. The results of study were as follows: 1. The hypotheses tested were based on the health belief model; 1) The first hypothesis, "The compliant may have more knowledge of the cervical cancer than the noncompliant" was rejected(T=-1.86, p>.05) 2) The second hypothesis, "The compliant may have a higher severity of cervical cancer than the noncompliant" was accepted(T=5.41, p<.001) 3) The third hypothesis, "The compliant may have a higher susceptability to cervical cancer than the nonoompliant" was accepted(T=3.51, p<.01). 4) The fourth hypothesis, "The compliant may have more benefit than cost from the cervical cancer tests than the noncompliant" was accepted(T=7.46, p<.001). 5) The fifth hypothesis, "The compliant may have more health concern than the noncompliant". was accepted (T=3.39, p<.01). These results show that severity, susceptability, benefit (over cost) and health concern influence the preventive health behavior in this Study. 2. In the correlation among variables, it was found that the knowledge of cervical cancer and the benefit(over cost) of preventive health behavior were negatively correlated(r=- 2.75, P<.01), Severity of cervical cancer and benefit (over cost) of preventive health behavior were post-itively correlated(r=.280, p<.01), severity and susceptability of cervical cancer were positively correlated(r=.238, p<.01), benefit(over cost) and health concern were positively correlated (r=. 299, P<.01). The benefit (over cost) may be raised by increasing the severity and health concern. Therefore the compliance rate of woman may be raised through health education by increasing the benefit(over cost) of the individual. 3. The Stepwise Multiple Regression between health behavior and predictors. 1) The factor "Benefit(over cost)" could account for preventive health behavior in 34.4% of the sample(F=55.6204 P<.01). 2) When the factor "Severity" is added to this, it accounts for 44.3% of preventive health behavior(F=41.679, p<.01). 3) When the factor "Susceptibility" is also included, it accounts for 46.7% of preventive health behavior (F=30.373, P<.01). 4) When the factor "Health concern" is included, it accounts for 48.1% of preventive health behavior (F=23859, p<.05). This means that other factors appear to influence preventive health behavior, since the combination of variables explains only 48.1% of the preventive health behavior. Therefore further study to investigate the predictors of preventive health behavior is necessary.

MeSH Terms

Civilization
Compliance*
Data Collection
Female
Health Behavior*
Health Education
Humans
Incidence
Life Expectancy
Mortality
Surveys and Questionnaires
Seoul
Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*