The Effect of Health Belief Model-Based Education through Telegram Instant Messaging Services on Pap smear performance

Abstract

<br /> <strong><span style="font-size: small;">Background: </span></strong><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Pap smear is an effective screening method for early detection of cervical cancer. This study aimed to investigate the effect of education based on Health Belief Model (HBM) through Telegram instant messaging services on the Pap smear test. </span></span><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Material and methods: </span></strong><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;">This research was a quasi-experimental study which was performed on 106 eligible women (48 participants in the intervention group and 47 participants in the control group). The patients in both groups completed the written consent form and questionnaires at the beginning of the study. In intervention group, the educational content based on HBM was regularly sent via Telegram during one month. After education and three months later, both groups completed questionnaires. Then, the data was analyzed with using SPSS version 22. </span></span><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Results: </span></strong><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;">The findings showed that the two groups at first were similar in demographic characteristics. In the intervention group, </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;">the mean difference of the scores before and immediate post training on the knowledge and all of the constructs were </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;">significant (P<0.001). Also, the mean difference of the scores before and three months after training on knowledge and </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;">all of the constructs (except for perceived barriers) has increased and about the perceived barriers this difference has </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;">decreased significantly compared to the score before the training. In the control group, changes in knowledge and other constructs were not significant in during the study. Within the three months after the training, 23 participants (47.9%) in </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;">the intervention group, and 4 participants (5.8%) in the control group performed Pap smear which indicates a statistically </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;">significant difference (P<0.001). </span></span><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Conclusion: </span></strong><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times New Roman; font-size: small;">With regard to the individuals' access to mobile phone, content posted by Telegram on the HBM-based education affects the women's belief and behavior regarding Pap smear test. </span></span>