Primary Cervical Cancer Preventive Behaviors Among Beer Bar Waitresses at Pattaya City, Chonburi Province *

Abstract

This cross-sectional survey research aimed to examine primary cervical cancer preventive behaviors
and its related factors among beer bar waitresses. The 340 beer bar waitresses were selected from the 162
randomly selected beer bars in Pattaya City, Chonburi Province. The data were collected using
questionnaires and were analyzed to test relationship between the study factors and primary cervical cancer
preventive behaviors by using chi-square test and Pearson’s product-moment correlation.
The results showed low mean score of primary cervical cancer preventive behaviors. Overall, 90.9 %
of beer bar waitresses improperly performed primary cervical cancer prevention, which revealed for each
dimension as follows: condom use (41.8%); prevention of sexually-transmitted diseases (85.8%); customer
service (63.2%); personal hygiene of sexual organs (83.8%); and observation of abnormal symptoms (92.4%).
The factors including age, income, history of getting sexually-transmitted diseases, having family members
with cervical cancer, exposing tobacco smoke, knowledge of cervical cancer, perceived severity of cervical
cancer, perceived benefits of cervical cancer preventive practices, social support from the bar owners, social
support from friends/co-workers, social support from family/husband, and social support from medical/public
health personnel were significantly related to the primary cervical cancer preventive behaviors (p<0.05). As
the results, promoting the primary cervical cancer preventive behaviors among beer bar waitresses should be
implemented through educating which focuses on enhancing the knowledge, and perceptions of severity of
cervical cancer and benefit of primary preventive practice as well as using social support intervention,
especially that from the bar owner in order to encourage bar waitresses to perform proper cervical cancer
preventive behaviors.