title: Awareness of cervical cancer prevention among mothers of adolescent daughters in Korea: qualitative research.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Korean adolescent girls are unprepared for cervical cancer prevention due to the lack of a mandatory policy regarding human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination and school health education regarding cervical cancer. The aim of this study was to determine how aware mothers are about cervical cancer prevention in their adolescent daughters, with a view to developing strategies for expanding primary cervical cancer prevention for adolescent girls through the mothers' involvement.
  
  
  METHODS
  A qualitative design was employed. Nine mothers with adolescent daughters participated in this study and were interviewed using open-ended questions. The themes were extracted by content analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A general living area in Seoul, South Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  The snowball method was used to select mothers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five themes emerged. In general, the mothers' awareness of cervical cancer was not clear, and they exhibited a lack of awareness of the importance of having a regular Papanicolaou screening test. The mothers recognised that they were role models for their daughters, and realised and accepted the necessity of educating their daughters regarding cervical cancer; however, they perceived barriers related to the prevention of cervical cancer in their daughters. The mothers recommended enforcing sex education in schools and the provision of financial support for HPV vaccination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mothers' awareness and preparedness with respect to the prevention of cervical cancer in their adolescent daughters were low and inadequate. Mothers should be informed and motivated to play a role in the education of their daughters regarding cervical cancer prevention. Strategies for disseminating information regarding early cervical cancer prevention for adolescent girls are recommended by communicating with both the girls and their mothers and providing them with education regarding cervical cancer prevention.
authors.affiliation: The Research Institute of Nursing Science, College of Nursing, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hae Won
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Woosuk University, Wanju-gun, Jeonbuk, South Korea.
authors.forename: Duck Hee
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001364:Awareness; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009679:Nuclear Family / Q000523:psychology; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D014611:Vaccination / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines
keywords: PUBLIC HEALTH; QUALITATIVE RESEARCH; cervical cancer; mother