The Impact of a Media Campaign on Cervical Screening Knowledge and Self-efficacy

Abstract

A three-phase cross-sectional face-to-face interview study (n= 1571) was conducted to investigate the impact of the PapScreen Victoria media campaign conducted in English, and the extent to which a media campaign can influence women’s perceived self-efficacy associated with having a Pap test. In total, 1571 women aged between 25 and 69 years were interviewed about prompted and unprompted recall of media messages, intention to have a Pap test and perceived self-efficacy associated with having Pap tests, and barriers to cervical screening. Chi-square and logistic regression analyses revealed that women’s awareness of Pap testing messages and priority of this health issue was greater at the first follow-up, and was maintained at the second. Multivariate analyses of variance indicated that it was perceived as more difficult to choose a practitioner and ring for results at the first follow-up, and perceived self-efficacy was lower then than at baseline. Results suggest that the cognitive processes at work are more complex than previously thought.

Keywords

cervical screening evaluation media self-efficacy theory of planned behaviour

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