Other Titles
Development of a Cervical Cancer Prevention Education Program for North Korean Refugee Women: Culturally Tailored Cervical Cancer Prevention Education [Title Slide]
Abstract
This mixed-method study developed and evaluated a culturally tailored cervical cancer prevention education program for North Korean females, reflecting their unique cultural and health needs. Guided by the Health Belief Model and the ADDIE instructional design, the four-session, 120-minute-per-week program aimed to enhance knowledge of cervical cancer and HPV, strengthen perceived benefits, reduce perceived barriers, and improve self-efficacy regarding preventive behaviors. Educational strategies included interactive lectures, audiovisual materials, cervical model demonstrations, culturally relevant role model sharing, and group discussions to promote engagement and understanding.
A non-equivalent control group pretest–posttest design was applied. The experimental group consisted of 28 females residing in G city, and the control group included 18 females from other regions (total N=46). Identical questionnaires were administered before and after the intervention. Quantitative data were analyzed using ANCOVA and paired t-tests, while qualitative data from focus group interviews were examined through thematic analysis.
Results demonstrated significant improvement in cervical cancer knowledge (F=10.922, p=.002) and overall health belief scores (F=5.579, p=.023) in the experimental group compared with the control. Although individual subscales such as perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, self-efficacy, and preventive intention did not reach statistical significance, upward trends indicated positive educational influence. Qualitative findings corroborated these outcomes, revealing reduced fear of screening and vaccination and increased motivation to engage in preventive actions among participants.
This pilot study provides evidence that a culturally responsive education program can effectively improve knowledge and health beliefs among North Korean females, demonstrating its feasibility and potential scalability as an equitable health promotion strategy.
Notes
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References:
Allen, W. C. (2006). Overview and evolution of the ADDIE training system. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 8(4), 430–441.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1523422306288433
Makadzange, E. E., Peeters, A., Joore, M. A., & Kimman, M. L. (2022). The effectiveness of health education interventions on cervical cancer prevention in Africa: A systematic review. Preventive Medicine, 164, 107219.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.107219
National Cancer Center Korea. (2023). Cervical cancer statistics. National Cancer Information Center.
https://www.cancer.go.kr/lay1/program/S1T211C223/cancer/view.do?cancer_seq=4877
Rosenstock, I. M. (1974). The Health Belief Model and preventive health behavior. Health Education Monographs, 2(4), 354–386.
Shorten, A., & Smith, J. (2017). Mixed methods research: Expanding the evidence base. Evidence-Based Nursing, 20(3), 74–75. https://doi.org/10.1136/eb-2017-102699
Sigma Membership
Non-member
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Mixed/Multi Method Research
Keywords:
Public and Community Health, Health Equity or Social Determinants of Health, Teaching and Learning Strategies, Cervix Neoplasms, Cervix Neoplasms--Prevention and Control, Immigrants, Women, North Korea
Recommended Citation
Choi, Kyung-Hwa and Yu, Soo-Young, "Development of a Cervical Cancer Prevention Education Program for North Korean Female Defectors" (2026). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 117.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2026/presentations_2026/117
Conference Name
37th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Conference Year
2026
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-08-03
Development of a Cervical Cancer Prevention Education Program for North Korean Female Defectors
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
This mixed-method study developed and evaluated a culturally tailored cervical cancer prevention education program for North Korean females, reflecting their unique cultural and health needs. Guided by the Health Belief Model and the ADDIE instructional design, the four-session, 120-minute-per-week program aimed to enhance knowledge of cervical cancer and HPV, strengthen perceived benefits, reduce perceived barriers, and improve self-efficacy regarding preventive behaviors. Educational strategies included interactive lectures, audiovisual materials, cervical model demonstrations, culturally relevant role model sharing, and group discussions to promote engagement and understanding.
A non-equivalent control group pretest–posttest design was applied. The experimental group consisted of 28 females residing in G city, and the control group included 18 females from other regions (total N=46). Identical questionnaires were administered before and after the intervention. Quantitative data were analyzed using ANCOVA and paired t-tests, while qualitative data from focus group interviews were examined through thematic analysis.
Results demonstrated significant improvement in cervical cancer knowledge (F=10.922, p=.002) and overall health belief scores (F=5.579, p=.023) in the experimental group compared with the control. Although individual subscales such as perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, self-efficacy, and preventive intention did not reach statistical significance, upward trends indicated positive educational influence. Qualitative findings corroborated these outcomes, revealing reduced fear of screening and vaccination and increased motivation to engage in preventive actions among participants.
This pilot study provides evidence that a culturally responsive education program can effectively improve knowledge and health beliefs among North Korean females, demonstrating its feasibility and potential scalability as an equitable health promotion strategy.
Description
This pilot study developed a culturally tailored cervical cancer prevention education program for North Korean females, reflecting their cultural health needs. The program improved cervical cancer knowledge and strengthened health beliefs, showing that culturally appropriate education can overcome fear and misinformation. These findings highlight its feasibility and importance as an approach to improve preventive health among vulnerable populations.
Acknowledgment: This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT, Korea government (No. RS-2022-00166717).