Efficacy of a training course given by midwives concerning cervical cancer risk factors and prevention.

Background: Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer type seen among women in most countries and an important cause of mortality. Although it is a preventable disease, most women living in developing countries cannot reach effective screening programs. It is essential that appropriate education about cervical cancer is provided.

Objective: This experimental field study was performed with the aim of evaluating the efficacy of training given to women about cervical cancer risk factors and primary and secondary prevention precautions.

Methods: The research focused on women between 25 and 29 years of age, literate, married and having social security. The study was conducted in the district of Evka 4 Health Care Center between the dates of April to August 2005. The women were given survey forms and questionnaires in order to determine their socio-demographic features and knowledge level about cervical cancer in the course of home visits. They were trained and given a manual at the data collection stage. At a second visit, carried out three months later, the trained women were again evaluated for their knowledge level about cervical cancer, risk factors and whether they had undergone a Pap smear test.

Results: Together with the difference between pre-/post-training mean information scores related to women's cervical cancer risk factors, the difference between the women's having a Pap smear test in the pre-/post-training period was found statistically significant. Only 16.3% of the women stated that they had a Pap smear test in the post-training period.

Conclusions: It was determined that the women were in need of knowledge about risk factors related to cervical cancer, prevention from and early diagnosis of cervical cancer, but there was no significant increase in the rate of having a Pap smear test despite the increase in the knowledge level with the training given.