Cervical cancer screening: a comparison of recruitment strategies among older women.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the effectiveness of different recruitment strategies in encouraging older women to have a Papanicolaou (Pap) test.


METHODS
A 2 x 2 factorial study.


METHODS
Two rural areas of Victoria, Australia.


METHODS
A total of 10,620 persons aged between 40 and 69 years and designated as female on electoral lists.


METHODS
A personal letter of invitation and a community-based campaign of 4 weeks' duration alone and in combination. A control group received no active intervention.


METHODS
The proportion of eligible women having a Pap test report issued by the Victorian Cytology Service during the 12 weeks after the intervention compared with the 12 weeks before the intervention, with an intervening two-week washout period.


RESULTS
The odds ratio of an eligible woman being screened during the intervention period relative to the pre-intervention period was 3.00 for women who were exposed to the campaign and sent the letter of invitation (95% confidence interval, 2.38-3.77, P less than 0.001), 1.86 for women who were exposed to the campaign (95% confidence interval, 1.49-2.33, P less than 0.001), 1.61 for women who were sent the letter of invitation (95% confidence interval, 1.34-1.92, P less than 0.001). The baseline was a control group who received no active intervention.


CONCLUSIONS
Both personal invitation letters and community-based campaigns are effective in recruiting women for Pap test screening. Combined strategies are more effective than single strategies.
Mitchell
H
H
Victorian Cytology Service, Melbourne.
Hirst
S
S
Cockburn
J
J
Reading
D J
DJ
Staples
M P
MP
Medley
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003153:Community Health Services; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D012423:Rural Health; D012494:Sampling Studies; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D014739:Victoria