UICC World Cancer Congress 2006

Objective: The purpose of the study was twofold. First it was intended to test whether respondents were able to formulate correct action plans. Second, to find out whether correct action plans strengthen the link between intention and behavior in cervical cancer screening.

Methods: Thirty-year-old women (n= 545) to be invited for the first time in the Dutch cervical cancer-screening program were randomly assigned to the experimental condition, a questionnaire six weeks before the actual invitation and the control condition, only the invitation. Respondents in the experimental condition were asked to anticipate their (re) action in the event of receiving the invitational letter, and to formulate action plans on ‘how to get started' in cervical screening and ‘how to stay on track'.

Results: The majority, 60% of the responders in the experimental condition, was able to formulate a correct action plan containing when, how and with whom to make an appointment for cervical screening and described suitable actions on how to stick to that plan. Four months after the invitation, a respondent with a positive intention and a correct action plan was 2.6 times more likely to attend the screening program than a respondent with a positive intention but an incorrect action plan, and the Chi square-test was significant (p= .027). The attendance rate of the experimental condition was 46.4%, significantly lower than 53.9% in the control group. Due to a response rate of only 58% the strengthening effect of the link between intention and behavior was not visible in the attendance rate.