title: Correlates between risk perceptions of cervical cancer and screening practice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify the correlates between risk perceptions and cervical cancer screening among urban Malaysian women.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional household survey was conducted among 231 women in Petaling Jaya city in 2007. The association of risk perceptions of cervical cancer and screening practice was analyzed using Poisson regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  56% of the respondents ever had a Pap smear test. Knowledge of signs and symptoms (aPR=1.11, 95% CI=1.03-1.19), age (aPR=1.02, 95% CI=1.01-1.03), number of pregnancies (aPR=1.06, 95% CI=1.01-1.11), marital status, education level and religion were found to be significant correlates of Pap smear screening. Respondents who were never married were less likely to have had a Pap smear. Those who had no education or primary education were less likely to have had a Pap smear compared to those with degree qualification. The prevalence of screening was significantly higher among Christians and others (aPR=1.35; 95% CI=1.01-1.81) and Buddhists (aPR=1.38; 95% CI=1.03-1.84), compared to Muslims.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Eliminating anecdotal beliefs as risks via targeted knowledge on established risk factors and culturally sensitive screening processes are strategic for increasing and sustaining uptake of Pap smear screening versus current opportunistic screening practices.
authors: Julius Centre University of Malaya, Department of Social & Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. wongyl@ummc.edu.my
authors: Yut-Lin
authors: YL
authors: Wong
authors: Karuthan
authors: K
authors: Chinna
authors: Jeevitha
authors: J
authors: Mariapun
authors: Li-Ping
authors: LP
authors: Wong
authors: Ee-Ming
authors: EM
authors: Khoo
authors: Wah-Yun
authors: WY
authors: Low
authors: Rashidah
authors: R
authors: Shuib
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004522:Educational Status; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D065006:Papanicolaou Test / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D012307:Risk Factors; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Cervical cancer; Malaysia; Pap smear; Risk perception; Screening; Targeted knowledge