Cervical cancer is the second most common malignancy
among women worldwide, and Pap smear testing is an
effective method of detecting, preventing and delaying the
progress of the disease. An understanding of the factors that
influence a woman’s decision to attend for cervical screening
is essential for any attempts to increase uptake. Nurses play a
key role in promoting awareness of the importance of cervical
cancer prevention. In several studies carried out in Turkey,
the relationship between the sociodemographic variables and
awareness level of cervical cancer screening has been examined
(Ozmen 2004, Akyu¨ z et al. 2006, Yu¨ cel 2006). However,
no published material has been found that describes a
woman’s beliefs in respect of cervical cancer and the Pap
Smear Test in Turkey. A review of the literature revealed that
few published papers describe systematic attempts to develop
and validate the instruments used to measure the beliefs of
women with regard to cervical cancer and Pap smear
screening (Burak & Meyer 1997, Hou & Luh 2005, Park
et al. 2005, Boonpongmanee & Jittanoon 2007). Healthcare
professionals need to understand how cultural values and
beliefs influence screening practice and to develop
programmes using culturally appropriate messages and
strategies. Bearing this in mind, it was thought that the
CHBM scales could be adapted to measure the health beliefs
of Turkish women as regards cervical cancer and Pap Smear
Tests. Understanding how sociocultural attitudes and health
beliefs influence women’s cervical cancer screening practices
will help healthcare professionals to develop more effective
cervical cancer screening programmes.