Effect of a computer tailored (CT) health education intervention on participation of women in preventive and screening programs for cervical cancer (HPV testing and Pap smear) in Iran

Ph.D researcher:  Rahim Taghizadeh Asl

Supervisor:

From Maastrich University: Professor Hein De Vries, Professor Nanne De Vries, Dr Liesbeth Van Osch.

From Cancer Research Center(CRC), Tehran University of Medical Science- Iran: Dr Kazem Zendehdel, Dr Mohsen Shams.

Co-researchers: Dr Sarah Zarei.

Funding:  Field cost of the project is funded by CRC/Tehran UMS.

Objective: 20% increase in attendance of women in Cervical Cancer screening ( HPV testing and/or Pap smear) by using the computer tailored (CT) eHealth education intervention compared to general.

Methods:

Specific objectives are:

• To improve knowledge and awareness, attitude and self-efficacy of women regarding cervical cancer screening ( HPV testing and/or Pap smear).
• To improve attendance of women for cervical cancer screening (ever tested, HPV testing and/or Pap smear).
• To improve attendances of women for follow up testing if they have already attended for the first time.

Method:

The main study is a Randomized Controlled Trial study and as it was mentioned before, the main study is composed on three stages as following:

• Situation analysis (Qualitative and Quantitative methods).
• Intervention program development (based on I-Change Model and using computer tailored eHealth messages) and Trial phase (to test effectiveness).

Results: 

Implementation of the first stage has been started from March 2014 and qualitative part of the study was done as following:

Defining objectives and developing questionnaires for in-depth interviews and FGDs.

Twelve in-depth interviews were conducted with experts in cancer (clinicians/internist), cancer pathologist, gynecologist, clinical psychologist, manager in the Ministry of health for women health and cancer, epidemiologist and health promotion expert. Fifteen FGDs and two in-depth interviews with women (30-60 years) living in Tehran from different socio-economic status were conducted.

All In-depth interviews and FGDs were transcribed and analyzed using NVIVO software and is in the process of final documentation and writing articles. Draft of questionnaire for quantitative study (phase two of step one) was developed based on results of finding in qualitative study and literature review.

Publications: Writing a paper from qualitative study on target women is in progress.