Sample characteristics and associations between demographic characteristics and comparative perceived risk of cervical cancer (N=606)
| Variables | N (%) or (mean, SD) | Perceived risk of cervical cancer at baseline (range: −2 to 2) (mean, SD) | Significance of between-group differences |
| Socio-demographic characteristics | |||
| Age in years | (21.4, 1.8) | – | – |
| Relationship status | |||
| Single | 230 (38) | −0.51 (0.86) | F (3602)=3.81, p=0.010 |
| Dating casually | 59 (10) | −0.19 (0.71) | |
| Dating one person | 225 (37) | −0.44 (0.75) | |
| Married/cohabiting | 92 (15) | −0.28 (0.70) | |
| Ethnic origin | |||
| White | 454 (75) | −0.33 (0.75) | F (3,602)=12.55, p<0.001 |
| Asian | 93 (15) | −0.86 (0.80) | |
| Black | 18 (3) | −0.50 (0.92) | |
| Other | 41 (7) | −0.29 (0.81) | |
| Religious participation | |||
| Rarely or never | 366 (60) | −0.31 (0.74) | F (2,603)=11.43, p<0.001 |
| Few times a year | 133 (22) | −0.47 (0.83) | |
| At least once a month | 107 (18) | −0.71 (0.82) | |
| Risk factors | |||
| Ever been a smoker | 112 (19) | −0.18 (0.86) | t (604)=3.59, p<0.001 |
| Never been a smoker | 494 (82) | −0.47 (0.76) | |
| Received HPV vaccination | 183 (30) | −0.51 (0.82) | t (604)=1.98, p=0.048 |
| Not received HPV vaccination | 423 (70) | −0.38 (0.77) | |
| Had a smear test in the past | 135 (22) | −0.22 (0.80) | t (604)=3.29, p<0.001 |
| Not had a smear in the past | 471 (78) | −0.47 (0.78) | |
| Number of sexual partners | |||
| None | 132 (22) | −0.74 (0.84) | F (2,582)=19.89, p<0.001 |
| 1–2 | 196 (32) | −0.46 (0.71) | |
| 3–4 | 103 (17) | −0.39 (0.70) | |
| 5+ | 155 (26) | −0.06 (0.75) | |
| First sexual intercourse 16 years or below* | 150 (25) | −0.20 (0.75) | t (441)=2.13, p=0.034 |
| First sexual intercourse over 16 years | 293 (48) | −0.36 (0.73) | |
| Consistency of condom use* | |||
| Every time | 118 (26) | −0.27 (0.68) | F (2,452)=3.80, p=0.023 |
| Most times | 134 (30) | −0.25 (0.79) | |
| Half the time or less | 203 (45) | −0.48 (0.79) | |
| Past diagnosis of an STI* | 46 (8) | 0.13 (0.78) | t (454)=4.29, p<0.001 |
| No past diagnosis of an STI | 410 (68) | −0.36 (0.73) | |
| Knowledge | |||
| Heard of HPV before | 529 (87) | −0.41 (0.78) | t (604)=0.91, p=0.365 |
| Not heard of HPV | 77 (13) | −0.49 (0.82) | |
| HPV knowledge score | (10.81, 3.56) | – | – |
↵* Only sexually active women were included in these analyses.
HPV, human papillomavirus; STI, sexually transmitted infection.