Predicting the stages of adoption of cervical cancer screening among Korean women

Objective: We examined the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of behavioral change based on cervical cancer screening among Korean women. We assessed the stages of Pap smear adoption, positive and negative attitudes toward Pap smear, and contributory factors. Method: This study was based on the 2007 Korean National Cancer Screening Survey, which included a total of 1224 women ≥ 30 years. Multiple logistic analyses were conducted to determine the factors that influenced the women's stages of adoption. Results: Fifty-seven percent of the women reported on-schedule screening while 43% did not. Those subjects who were 50-64 years old, had higher incomes, married, lived in a rural area, exercised regularly, and had regular checkups were more likely to be in maintenance than in precontemplation. However, the con scores were negatively associated with a transition from precontemplation to maintenance. Further, a high con score was associated with being in relapse risk or relapse rather than in maintenance while the pro scores were not significant across the stages of adoption. Conclusion: Our results confirm the applicability of the TTM to Pap smear screening in an Asian context. Age, income, marital status, residency, regular exercise, health checkups, and con scores were significantly associated with the stage of adoption.