The effect of the music-supported education program on the awareness and health beliefs of Roma women about cervical cancer and screening.

BACKGROUND: Roma women, who have low education, are one of the risk groups for cervical cancer as it has proven that they marry and give birth at an early age and have limited access to preventive health services.

AIM: This study aims to reveal the effect of a music-supported education program based on the Health Belief Model on the awareness and health beliefs of Roma women about cervical cancer and screening.

METHODS: This study was conducted between June 2021- January 2022 with 40 Roma women in the experimental group and 40 in the control group. Data were collected using the Personal Information Form and the Health Belief Model Scale for Cervical Cancer and Pap Smear Test. The experimental group received a four-week training and a two-week music-supported training.

RESULTS: It was revealed that 27.5% of the Roma women in the experimental group had the pap smear test after the intervention, and there was a significant difference in the mean scores of the awareness of cervical cancer and screening and the factors of the Health Belief Model Scale for Cervical Cancer and Pap Smear Test compared to the pre-intervention. It was found that the intervention had a significant effect at the level of 77.9% in reducing the perceived barriers to the pap smear test (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: It was found that the music-supported education program based on the Health Belief Model positively affected the awareness and health beliefs of Roma women about cervical cancer and screening.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered with the U.S.National of Medicine Clinical Trials Registry (NCT04756440 -15.08.2020).