Health Interventions and Misuse of Cervical Cancer Screening among Young Women

Abstract

Despite the guidelines for the proper usage of cervical cancer screening, majority of young women misuse the screening methods, which can harm their health. To avoid the misuse, there is a need for empirical evidence to explore effective interventions. Hence, this study investigated the effect of the three health-related intervention and cognitive constructs: a doctor's recommendation, knowledge of human papillomavirus (HPV), and HPV vaccination, on the misuse of three cervical cancer screenings: too-early screening, unnecessary HPV tests, and unnecessary annual Papanicolaou (Pap) tests among young women. This study examined the 2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States (N=1,776). Three types of dependent variables were considered relating to the misuse of cervical cancer screenings based on the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) guideline. Multinomial logistic regression models were employed to estimate the coefficients, odds ratio, and relative risk ratios. The recommendation of health professionals played a significant role in not only receiving Pap smears at the proper usage, but when improper advice was given, can also induce unnecessary HPV testing and too-early and too-frequent Pap smear screening. HPV vaccination encouraged compliance with the recommendations, including Pap smears alone (without simultaneous HPV testing) and at a proper frequency, while it also induced screening misuse, including unnecessary HPV testing simultaneous with Pap smears. In addition, having heard of HPV increased the likelihood that women underwent Pap smears at a proper frequency while also inducing unnecessary HPV testing and screening overuse. To prevent young women from the misuse of cervical cancer screening, health professionals need to follow the recommendations proposed by experts. Also, public health authorities need to provide precise and correct information about appropriate cancer screening to young women.