Attendance to cervical cancer screening among Roma and non-Roma women living in North-Western region of Romania

Trude Andreassen (), Adriana Melnic, Rejane Figueiredo, Kåre Moen, Ofelia Şuteu, Florian Nicula, Giske Ursin and Elisabete Weiderpass
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Trude Andreassen: Cancer Registry of Norway, Institute of Population-Based Cancer Research
Adriana Melnic: The Romanian Cancer Society
Rejane Figueiredo: Folkhälsan Research Center, Genetic Epidemiology Group
Kåre Moen: University of Oslo
Ofelia Şuteu: University of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Iuliu Haţieganu”
Florian Nicula: Institute of Oncology “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuţă” Cluj-Napoca (IOCN)
Giske Ursin: Cancer Registry of Norway, Institute of Population-Based Cancer Research
Elisabete Weiderpass: Cancer Registry of Norway, Institute of Population-Based Cancer Research

International Journal of Public Health, 2018, vol. 63, issue 5, No 8, 609-619

Abstract: Abstract Objectives Romania has Europe’s highest incidence and mortality rates of cervical cancer. Participation in the national cervical cancer-screening programme is low, especially among minority Roma women. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study, using a structured questionnaire aiming to quantify reasons for screening attendance among women in North-Western region of Romania. Results 980 women were enrolled in this study. Data were analysed using logistic regression, estimating odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). This study revealed that Roma women (46%) attended screening less frequently that non-Roma women (63%),; however, ethnicity in itself was not associated with screening attendance. Instead we found that attendance to the cervical cancer screening programme was determined by having ever heard about a screening opportunity (OR 5.90, 95% CI 3.76−9.27) and having three or more sex partners (OR 5.99, 95% CI 1.71–21.04). Conclusions We concluded that information about the screening programme’s existence and its rationale does not reach the women targeted for screening sufficiently and argue that a process of user involvement aiming to build contact, interaction and cooperation between the programme and its potential participants is warranted.

Keywords: Cervical cancer screening attendance; Minority Roma women; Discrimination; Access to health; Health insurance; Odds ratio (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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DOI: 10.1007/s00038-018-1107-5

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