The Transtheoretical Model and Cervical Screening: Its Application Among Culturally Diverse Communities in Queensland, Australia

Objectives: To apply the Transtheoretical Model of Behaviour Change (TTM) to cervical cancer screening to determine and report on the level of support required by different language and cultural groups in Queensland to enhance participation. The model consists of six stages: Pre-contemplation (no intention to be screened, no past action), Contemplation (intention to be screened, no past action), Action (intention to be screened, initial screening), Maintenance (intention to be screened, regular screening), Relapse (no intention to be screened, initial screening) and Relapse Risk (no intention to be screened, regular screening).

Design: Focus groups and structured interviews were used to classify women in terms of the model and collect information regarding knowledge, health service contact barriers and enhancing factors and sources of information in relation to cervical cancer screening. The sample was recruited by bi-cultural workers for each community using snowball techniques.

Results: The interview sample consisted of Australian South Sea Islanders, Chinese, German, Greek and Moslem women. There was no evidence of significant differences in TTM stage according to ethnicity. Women who intended to be screened in the future were more likely to have positive decisional balance scores and higher knowledge scores than women who did not. Women who had had Pap tests were significantly more likely to have received information from their general practitioner (GP) than women who had not had Pap tests. Women in Action and Maintenance were also more likely to have had their last Pap test by a female GP compared to women in relapse categories. Women in Pre-contemplation were more likely than women who had Pap tests to agree that they would travel a long way to see a practitioner who spoke their own language.

Conclusion: Classification based on the model was supported both by the decisional balance scale and measures of knowledge. Women in earlier stages of the model were more likely to express preferences for the provision of services in their own language and by a female. Cervical cancer screening among women in Action and Maintenance appeared to be better supported by GPs. Cervical cancer screening promotion for women of diverse cultures and ethnicities has tended to focus on Pre-contemplation and Contemplation stages, however, as most women in this sample were in Action or Maintenance, as are most Australian-born women, structuring cervical cancer screening promotion in terms of the TTM may significantly improve the effectiveness of interventions for women of diverse cultures and ethnicities.