Elsevier

Social Science & Medicine

Volume 43, Issue 8, October 1996, Pages 1237-1243
Social Science & Medicine

Cognition and affect after cervical screening: The role of previous test outcome and personal obligation in future uptake expectations

https://doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(95)00443-2Get rights and content

Abstract

276 women aged 20 to 60 years who had recently undergone the cervical smear test for detection of cervical abnormalities were interviewed concerning their experiences at screening, the screening test and their future screening expectations. The vast majority of women indicated that it was very likely they would undergo future tests, in spite of recently publicised concerns about negative impacts of positive results. The analysis further demonstrated that future screening expectations were best explained not by appraisals of disease threat, but by a sense of obligation to attend and by perceptions of the aversiveness of the test procedure. Women who reported that their last test had been painful or embarrassing held more negative views of a future test, but a prior positive result was not implicated in women's expectations concerning future screening. Social class was associated with future uptake expectations, even amongst this sample of women who had already undergone the test. Multivariate analysis showed that the effects of social class on expectations concerning future participation in screening was explained by the tendency of lower class women to view the test as aversive and to feel less personal obligation to attend.

References (31)

  • P.R. Warshaw et al.

    Disentangling behavioural intentions and behavioural expectations

    J. Exp. Soc. Psychol.

    (1985)
  • Health Departments of Great Britain

    General Practice in the National Health Service: The 1990 Contract

    (1989)
  • M.J. Campion et al.

    Psychosexual trauma of an abnormal cervical smear

    Br. J. Obstet. Gynaec.

    (1988)
  • A.C. Marcus et al.

    Improving adherence to screening follow-up among women with abnormal pap smears: results from a large clinic-based trial of three intervention strategies

    Med. Care

    (1992)
  • A.G. Palmer et al.

    Understanding women's responses to treatment for cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia

    Br. J. clin. Psychol.

    (1993)
  • S. Quilliam

    Positive smear; the emotional issues and what can be done

    Hlth Educ. J.

    (1990)
  • I.M. Rosenstock

    The health belief model and preventive health behaviour

    Hlth Educ. Monogr.

    (1974)
  • Rogers R. W. Cognitive and physiological processes in fear appeals and attitude change: a revised theory of...
  • P. Hennig et al.

    Factors influencing women over 40 years of age to take precautions against cervical cancer

    J. Appl. Soc. Psychol.

    (1990)
  • S. Orbell et al.

    Health psychology and uptake of preventive health services: a review of 30 years' research on cervical screening

    Psychol. Hlth

    (1993)
  • D. Hill et al.

    Factors predisposing women to take precautions against breast and cervix cancer

    J. Appl. Soc. Psychol.

    (1985)
  • J. Mandleblatt et al.

    Targeting breast and cervical cancer screening to elderly poor black women: who will participate?

    Prev. Med. Int. J.

    (1993)
  • M. Murray et al.

    Health beliefs, locus of control, emotional control and women's cancer screening behaviour

    Br. J. clin. Psychol.

    (1993)
  • T.M. Marteau et al.

    Undergoing screening: a health-related decision or a compliant behaviour?

  • P. Norman et al.

    The role of social cognition models in predicting attendance at health checks

    Psychol. Hlth

    (1993)
  • Cited by (0)

    View full text