Original scientific paper
PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTION TO IMPROVE MAMMOGRAPHY COVERAGE IN NATIONAL BREAST CANCER SCREENING PROGRAM
JASMINA KOVAČEVIĆ
orcid.org/0000-0003-2431-0866
; Public Health Institute of Požega-Slavonia County, Požega, Croatia
VESNA JUREŠA
; University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Andrija Štampar School of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia
VERA MUSIL
; University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Andrija Štampar School of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia
DEJVID ZOMBORI
; University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Andrija Štampar School of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the effect of public health intervention on coverage of women by mammography screening within the National Breast Cancer Screening program. Methods: The sample included all non-respondent women from selected urban and rural areas in Požega-Slavonia County (N=1208). The intervention was conducted by medical students during home visits. After the intervention, all women were divided into two groups of non-contacted and contacted women. Results: The group of non-contacted women were those with whom no contact was possible (n=206). The most
common reasons for not being contacted were as follows: ‘wrong address’ (48.1%) and ‘the woman moved’ (39.3%). In the group of non-contacted women with whom contact was possible (n=470), the most common reason for not being contacted was ‘no one or the woman was not at home’ (43.8%). In the group of contacted women (n=532), 49.6% of them accepted intervention. Women living in rural areas participated in the intervention more frequently than those from urban areas (61.9% vs. 35.9%; p<0.001). There was no signifi cant age difference between the women with and without intervention. The
women that responded to the intervention underwent signifi cantly more mammography screenings in the third invitation round within the National Breast Cancer Screening program as compared with the women that refused to participate (52 vs. 9 mammography screenings; p<0.001). Additionally, the women that responded to the intervention underwent signifi cantly more mammography screenings as compared with non-contacted women with whom contact was possible (52 vs. 26 mammography screenings; p<0.0001). Conclusion: The results of the study suggested that intervention in the form of home visit significantly increased the rate of mammography screening in women that did not respond to the National Breast Cancer Screening program invitation letter. Additional research is needed to determine the patterns of non-respondent women in order to develop more effective interventions to increase coverage rate. The results imply the necessity of implementing the community based education of physicians and other health professionals.
Keywords
National Breast Cancer Screening program; public health intervention; home visits; medical students
Hrčak ID:
199107
URI
Publication date:
20.4.2018.
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