Development of a Cervical Cancer Screening Promotion Model Through the Participation of Village Health Volunteers at Ban Kuakhai Subdistrict Health Promoting Hospital, Sakon Nakhon Province

Abstract

This study is a Research and Development (R&D) study aimed at examining the development and evaluation of a model for promoting cervical cancer screening through the participation of village health volunteers (VHVs) in the service area of Ban Khua Kai Tambon Health Promoting Hospital, Wanon Niwat District, Sakon Nakhon Province. The study was conducted in three phases: Phase 1 a situational analysis and identification of reasons for screening refusal; Phase 2 model development; and Phase 3 evaluation of the model's effectiveness. A one-group pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental design was employed. The sample consisted of 50 women aged 30–60 years who had never undergone cervical cancer screening during the period 2023–2025, selected by purposive sampling. Research instruments included questionnaires assessing knowledge, health perception, health behavior, and satisfaction. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Paired t-test.
The research findings revealed that 1) The primary reasons for refusing cervical cancer screening included shame, fear of test results, lack of knowledge, and limited access to services. 2) The model for promoting cervical cancer screening through self-collected vaginal cell sampling with the participation of village health volunteers consisted of four key components: knowledge provision, support by village health volunteers, facilitation of self-sampling kit use, and follow-up reminders. 3) After implementing the model, the participants' knowledge scores increased significantly, with the mean score rising from 4.32 to 9.00 (t = 18.64, p < 0.001). Health perception and health behavior also improved significantly (p < 0.001). The participants were able to use the self-sampling kits correctly, and their satisfaction with the model was at the highest level (Mean = 4.52, SD = 0.38). In conclusion, the developed model effectively enhanced women's knowledge, health perception, and cervical cancer screening behavior. It is recommended for implementation at the village level and for further scale-up to the community level, in order to increase screening coverage and reduce the long-term risk of cervical cancer.