Background: Several studies highlighted that tailored health communication interventions improve cervical screening participation, vaccination coverage, and awareness about self-sampling benefits. The “COMUNISS” project was aimed at increasing awareness about cervical cancer prevention, identifying barriers to screening, and promoting screening uptake in under-screened women. Methods: A dedicated website with a Q&A session regarding HPV-associated diseases has been set up. Participants were invited to complete a questionnaire to gather demographic information, knowledge about HPV and cervical cancer, and attitudes toward screening based on the Health Beliefs Model (HBM). Women can also require a vaginal self-sampling kit at your home to perform the HPV-DNA analysis. Results: The website registered over 1000 users over 6 months, and 256 women completed the survey. Nearly half were under-screened. The HBM revealed a high susceptibility and severity perception of diseases, regardless of screening participation, whereas older women declared a high perception of barriers. One-quarter of the women who had requested the self-collection kit returned it for the HPV-DNA testing. Conclusions: The project found significant gaps in knowledge regarding extra-cervical HPV-related cancers, interpretation of screening results, and effectiveness of self-collection. These findings highlight the need to plan targeted information campaigns to enhance awareness and adherence to screening programs.
Beliefs and Perceptions in Attending the Cervical Screening: The COMUNISS Project Experience / Muresu, N.; Sechi, I.; Puci, M. V.; Dettori, M.; Piana, A.. - In: CANCERS. - ISSN 2072-6694. - 17:2(2025). [10.3390/cancers17020190]
Beliefs and Perceptions in Attending the Cervical Screening: The COMUNISS Project Experience
Muresu N.
;Sechi I.;Puci M. V.;Dettori M.;Piana A.
2025-01-01
Abstract
Background: Several studies highlighted that tailored health communication interventions improve cervical screening participation, vaccination coverage, and awareness about self-sampling benefits. The “COMUNISS” project was aimed at increasing awareness about cervical cancer prevention, identifying barriers to screening, and promoting screening uptake in under-screened women. Methods: A dedicated website with a Q&A session regarding HPV-associated diseases has been set up. Participants were invited to complete a questionnaire to gather demographic information, knowledge about HPV and cervical cancer, and attitudes toward screening based on the Health Beliefs Model (HBM). Women can also require a vaginal self-sampling kit at your home to perform the HPV-DNA analysis. Results: The website registered over 1000 users over 6 months, and 256 women completed the survey. Nearly half were under-screened. The HBM revealed a high susceptibility and severity perception of diseases, regardless of screening participation, whereas older women declared a high perception of barriers. One-quarter of the women who had requested the self-collection kit returned it for the HPV-DNA testing. Conclusions: The project found significant gaps in knowledge regarding extra-cervical HPV-related cancers, interpretation of screening results, and effectiveness of self-collection. These findings highlight the need to plan targeted information campaigns to enhance awareness and adherence to screening programs.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.