Experts turn to video making to increase cervical cancer screening rate

A 14-minute motivational e-health video titled SeDAR^® has been released. The video aims to educate people on cervical cancer with the intention of increasing the percentage of women going for cervical cancer screening.

While sedar means “to realize” in the Malay language, SeDAR is an acronym for “Serviks Disaring, Amalan Rutin” or “Screened Cervix, Routine Practice.” The perspectives of healthcare professionals and the lay public were considered during the development of SeDAR and it has been validated as a viable tool for the Malaysian population by researchers with the help of experts in the health and media fields. [PLoS ONE 2024;19(9):e0310555]

Researchers used the protection motivation theory (PMT) framework as a guide to develop the video targeting Malaysians. The PMT framework consisting of perceived vulnerability and severity, threat and coping appraisal, response efficacy, self-efficacy, and protection motivation, has an important role in providing practical information. Based on PMT, it is believed that people perceiving a disease risk will take steps to evaluate and alleviate the risk.

The use of entertainment-education and narratives in culture-based videos has been shown to enhance knowledge and intention for screening uptake. Hence, the researchers decided to incorporate casual discussions that also furnished viewers with relevant facts for a balance between engagement and education. Next, they collaborated with a media production team for scriptwriting and storyline development, both of which form the foundation of the video.

The validity and usability of SeDAR particularly related to the motivational aspects towards cervical cancer screening among eligible Malaysian women was confirmed by the positive feedback from health and media experts. They confirmed that the video is clear, interesting, and informative—important features that can engage viewers. Overall, the text pop-up to highlight the doctor’s description as well as messages and images resulted in a captivating story and provided for the significant engagement of viewers. Information on cervical cancer and the crucial role of screening, further provided the motivation for viewers to go for screening.

Also, SeDAR proved to be ecologically valid for use in real-life settings as shown by the high Video Engagement Scale (VES^®) scores. Thus, both the VES scores and content validation index (CVI) confirmed the content and ecological validity of SeDAR enabling its use in Malaysia via social media and national television programs. Although SeDAR is in Malay with English subtitles and may be limited to viewers who converse in Malay and English, the researchers believe it can potentially be used in countries with similar culture namely, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and Myanmar.

The Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) established the Action Plan Towards the Elimination of Cervical Cancer in Malaysia 2021-2030 in response to the World Health Organization’s call to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem. One of the targets to be achieved by 2030 involves screening 70 percent of women in Malaysia with a high-performance test at the age of 35 and repeating the test when they are 45 years old. Hence, awareness campaigns using e-motivational videos such as SeDAR may assist in encouraging eligible women to go for cervical cancer screening.