The effect of motivational interviewing based on the COM-B model on women's cervical cancer health beliefs and participation in screening: a single-blind randomized controlled study

Aim: This study was conducted to determine the effect of motivational interviewing based on the COM-B model on women's cervical cancer health beliefs and participation in screening. Material and Method: The study was conducted as a 'single-blind randomised controlled experimental study'. The study was conducted between 12 February 2024 and 12 November 2024 on women aged 30-65 years registered in Altınordu Central Family Health Centre in Ordu Province. The population of the study consisted of 1600 women between the ages of 30-65 registered to the Family Health Centre and the sample consisted of 68 women determined by power analysis. Women were assigned to the experimental and control groups by block randomisation. The data of the study were collected with "Information Form", "Cervical Cancer and Pap Smear Test Health Belief Model Scal", "Cervical Cancer Screening Status Assessment Form" and "Satisfaction Assessment Form". Motivational interviewing based on the COM-B model was applied to the women in the experimental group face-to-face in the 1st week and by telephone in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th weeks. Institutional permission and ethics committee approval were obtained. Data were evaluated by Fisher's Exact Test, Fisher's Exact Test with Monte Carlo Correction, Yates Correction, Pearson Chi-Square Test, Independent Samples t Test, Mann Whitney U Test, Generalised Linear Models method, Two-Way Robust ANOVA method, Bonferroni Test and Binary Logistic Regression Analysis. Results: It was found that there was no statistically significant difference in the "Cervical Cancer and Pap Smear Test Health Belief Model Scale" "Sensitivity", "Caring/Seriousness", "Pap Smear Benefit and Motivation" sub-dimension of the experimental and control group women according to the group time interaction (p>0.05), there was a statistically significant difference in the "Health Motivation" sub-dimension according to time and "Pap Smear Barriers" sub-dimension according to group time interaction (p<0.05). It was found that there was a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control group women's cervical cancer screening status after the intervention (p<0.05). Conclusions: It was found that motivational interviewing based on the COM-B model increased the perception of health motivation in cervical cancer screening, decreased the perception of pap smear barriers and increased participation in cervical cancer screening. Keywords: Cervical cancer, COM-B model, health beliefs, motivational interviewing, nursing, screening.