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Maximising the acceptability of extended time intervals between screens in the NHS Cervical Screening Programme: An online experimental study

Hill, Emily; Nemec, Martin; Marlow, Laura; Sherman, Susan Mary; Waller, Jo; (2020) Maximising the acceptability of extended time intervals between screens in the NHS Cervical Screening Programme: An online experimental study. Journal of Medical Screening , 28 (3) pp. 333-340. 10.1177/0969141320970591. Green open access

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The NHS Cervical Screening Programme plans to increase the screening interval from 3 to 5 years for women aged 25–49 who test negative for human papillomavirus (HPV). This exploratory cross-sectional online survey tested the impact of different levels of information about the proposed change on acceptability of a longer interval. METHODS: Women aged 18–45 (n = 585) were individually randomised to one of three information exposure groups differing in the level of information provided about the screening interval change: (1) basic information; (2) basic information with additional detail about timeline of HPV infection; (3) as (2) but with the addition of a diagram. Acceptability of the change (favourable and unfavourable attitudes) was assessed post-exposure alongside HPV timeline beliefs. We used ANOVA and regression analyses to test for between-group differences. RESULTS: Women in Group 3 had higher scores on the favourable attitudes sub-scale compared with Group 1. Women in Groups 2 and 3 had more accurate timeline beliefs than those in Group 1. There were no between-group differences in unfavourable attitudes. After adjusting for demographic factors, a higher favourable attitudes score was independently predicted by being in Group 3 compared to Group 1, more accurate HPV timeline beliefs, and previous irregular or non-attendance at screening. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, acceptability of an increased screening interval was moderate, but providing women with information about the safety and rationale for this change may improve acceptability. In particular, communicating the long timeline from HPV exposure to cervical cancer may reassure women about the safety of the proposed changes.

Type: Article
Title: Maximising the acceptability of extended time intervals between screens in the NHS Cervical Screening Programme: An online experimental study
Location: England
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1177/0969141320970591
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0969141320970591
Language: English
Additional information: © 2022 by Medical Screening Society. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Keywords: Cancer communication, human papillomavirus primary screening, information provision, cervical cancer, human papillomavirus, acceptability
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health > Epidemiology and Public Health
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health > Behavioural Science and Health
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10155308
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