Effect of Educational Intervention on Cervical Cancer Prevention and Screening in Hispanic Women

Olivia W. Foley, Nicole Birrer, J. Alejandro Rauh-Hain, Rachel M. Clark, Elizabeth DiTavi, Marcela G. del Carmen

To evaluate the effect of an educational intervention on four domains of health care utilization and cervical cancer prevention and screening in a Hispanic population. Data collected from a survey were used to design education strategies focused on four domains of interest. A second survey was conducted to measure the impact of the intervention. Following the intervention, respondents were more likely to have any knowledge of human papillomavirus (HPV). Respondents living in the United States (US) for <5 years were more likely to have had a Papanicolaou smear in the preceding 3 years (p = 0.0314), to report knowledge of HPV vaccination (p = 0.0258), and to be willing to vaccinate themselves (p = 0.0124) and their children (p = 0.0341) after the intervention. Educational interventions designed to meet the needs identified by the sample group led to an increase in HPV awareness throughout the entire population surveyed and an increase in health care service utilization and HPV vaccine acceptance for women living in the US for <5 years. These tools should be promoted to reduce the cervical cancer burden on vulnerable populations.