Health Promotion Lifestyle and Cancer Screening Behaviors: A Survey among Academician Women

Abstract

Breast self examination (BSE), screening mammography and Pap smear screening can significantly reducemortality from breast and cervical cancer. In an effort to understand the factors that influence BSE,mammography, and Pap smear behavior of woman academicians, we here explored the relation between healthpromotion life-style and women’s cancer screening practice. A total of 750 woman academicians working in auniversity were enrolled, 350 of them responding to the survey. The study instruments used were the HealthPromotion Life-Style Profile (HPLP) scale and a questionnaire of demographic data. There was a significantrelationship between age-group, marital status, presence of cancer in the family, history of cervical erosion anddoing BSE, having mammography and a Pap smear. Additionally, both the general mean and nearly all domainsof HPLP were significantly related to BSE, mammography, and Pap smear behavior. This study demonstratedstrong relationships between breast and cervical cancer screening behavior and health promoting lifestyle inthis subgroup of women, making an important contribution to understanding the factors influencing women’shealth behavior.