Learning about pap smears: an educational skit for Hispanic adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the efficacy of an educational skit on improving knowledge and decision making/behavior toward obtaining a Pap smear.


METHODS
Ninety-two Hispanic high school female volunteers participated in an intervention, single-sample, preintervention/postintervention survey. Data were collected prior to (T(0)), immediately after (T(1)), and seven weeks after (T(2)) the intervention. The intervention was a live, 15-minute, English-language skit.


RESULTS
Fifty percent reported sexual intercourse. Viewing the skit was associated with 29% of those who needed a Pap smear done, actually scheduling or having a Pap smear done between T(0) and T(2). However, a causal relationship was not proven (P = 0.09). Knowledge was greater at T(1) and T(2) compared to T(0) (P < 0.00001). However, there was a decrease in knowledge at T(2) compared to T(1). More subjects agreed that females their age were at risk for cancer at T(2) compared to T(0) (P = 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
There was an improvement in and retention of knowledge about Pap smears after viewing this educational skit. This study sets the stage for evaluating this educational skit on a larger sample with a comparison group.
Richardson
Reva A
RA
Jackson Memorial Medical Center Program, University of Miami, School of Medicine, Dept of Pediatrics, Miami, FL, USA.
Njoroge
Wanjiku
W
Wilcox
Graciela G
GG
Chacko
Mariam R
MR
Hergenroeder
Albert C
AC
D000293:Adolescent; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D012381:Role Playing; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*; D014626:Vaginal Smears