Examination of the relationship between the personal characteristics of vocational education center students and the health belief of the utility cancer and pap smear screening test

This study was conducted as a descriptive and correlational search in order to evaluate the relationship between the personality traits of female students and their health beliefs about cervical cancer and Pap-smear screening test. The study was conducted with 291 female students studying in different professions at Van Vali Ali Paşa Vocational Education Center between August and September 2021. The data were obtained through online using the "Personal Data Collection Form", "Five Factor Personality Scale", "The Cervical Cancer and Pap Smear Screening Health Belief Model Scale". IBM SPSS 22.0 (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) program was used for statistical analysis of the data. The findings were evaluated at p <0,05 significance level. The mean age of women is 32.33∓ 8.94 years. When the relationship between women's personality traits and cervical cancer and Pap-smear test health belief was examined, it was determined that women with high extraversion and agreeableness personality traits also had a high mean score of benefit/health motivation, barrier, care/severity, sensitivity and health motivation. It was observed that as conscientiousness and neuroticism personality traits increased, benefit/health motivation, care/severity and sensitivity sub-score average increased. It was determined that as the personality trait of openness to experience increased, the sub-score average of benefit/health motivation, care/severity and health motivation increased. As a result, in order to determine the factors that prevent women from protecting their reproductive health and screening for cervical cancer, personality traits, health attitudes and beliefs should be evaluated and studies should be given priority. Key Words: Personality characteristics, Pap-smear, Cervical Cancer, Health Belief Model