Validity of the process and outcome specific measure in women with abnormal Papanicolaou screening test

Abstract

Introduction Women receiving abnormal Papanicolaou (Pap) findings often face psychosocial burden. This study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Process and Outcome Specific Measure (POSM) in women with abnormal Pap screening test in Serbia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with 238 consecutive women attending cervical cancer screening. Exploratory factor analysis was used to determine the structure of the POSM, and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient to assess internal consistency. Results The factor analysis revealed two factors that explained 47.8% of variance: the first – Worry factor (4 items loaded onto the factor represented questions about worries), and the second – Information-Support factor (3 items loaded onto the factor represented questions about feeling informed well enough and being satisfied with support from others). The Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the Worry factor and the Information-Support factor were 0.572 and 0.428, respectively. Conclusion The Serbian version of the POSM could be a useful tool for assessing worry and information-support in women with abnormal Pap smear results.