Deaf And Hard-Hearing Women’ Knowledge And Health Beliefs Regarding Cervical Cancer: An Application Of Health Belief Model

Abstract

Background: Cervical cancer (CC) is considered a common cause of gynecologic malignancy-related mortality and morbidity. Objective: This study aims to investigate the deaf and hard-hearing females' knowledge and health beliefs regarding CC through Health Belief Model (HBM) application. Material and methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Tabuk University, and secondary schools (which contain integrated students) at Tabuk city, KSِA. A comprehensive sample of all deaf and hard-hearing married women was recruited in the study (n= 36 participants) from September to November 2021. A Structured interview schedule that involved the basic data and reproductive history, CC knowledge quiz, HBM scale, and CC screening intention scale were used to collect data. Results: All the study participants never received human papilloma virus vaccine or performed Papanicolaou smear test. Fair knowledge regarding CC was present among 58.35% of the study participants. Regarding CC health beliefs, 69.4% and 44.4% of the study participants had low perceived susceptibility and perceived seriousness to CC, respectively. Also, 50% and 44.4% of the participants had moderate health motivation and intention to perform CC screening, respectively. Bivariate correlations showed statistically significant correlations between the participants' overall CC knowledge and their perceived susceptibility, seriousness, health motivation, and intention of screening behaviors (p˂0.05). Conclusion: The intention to practice CC screening was significantly correlated to all HBM constructs (p˂0.05).  Cervical cancer knowledge and health beliefs among deaf and hard-hearing females were lower than expected.