The Journal of

Background: Cervix cancer is the second most common cancer among women worldwide after breast cancer. Health Belief Model (HBM) has been used as an exploratory model to assess why people do not use preventive health services. The aim of this study was to survey cervix cancer screening determinants in 20-65 year old women based on health belief model.

Methods: In a cross-sectional design, a total number of 300 women entered in the study using cluster random sampling. Data were collected by a questionnaire which was designed based on HBM. A test-retest approved reliability of the questionnaire and data were analyzed via SPSS software.

Results: Means and standard deviations of HBM constructs were as following: knowledge (7.12±2.75), perceived susceptibility (3.45±1.09), perceived severity (5.92±1.54), perceived benefits (2.33±1.22), perceived barriers (14.14±3.6) and cues to action (1.04±1.05). Only 37% had done pap smear test. Regression analysis revealed that knowledge and perceived barriers significantly predict the practicing of pap smear test. Moreover, the number of participants' doing pap smear was predicted by perceived benefits.

Conclusion: As the number of participants'doing pap smear test was predicted only by the perceived benefits and the status of doing that was predicted only by knowledge and perceived barriers, and the other constructs of HBM were weak in predicting the behavior, investigating the application of other education models in future studies is recommended.