Predicting compliance with follow-up recommendations after colposcopy among indigent urban women.
OBJECTIVE
To determine correlates of compliance with follow-up recommendations after colposcopy.


METHODS
Between October 1, 1992, and June 30, 1997, management recommendations were made to 451 consecutive women who attended a resident colposcopy clinic. Compliance was determined after 8-12 months. Correlates of compliance were assessed by univariate and multivariate analyses.


RESULTS
Recommendations included repeat cytology in 6 months for 252 women, loop excision for 114, conization for 27, repeat colposcopy for 51, other for three, and not recorded for four. Rates of ever complying were 81% for loop excision, 85% for conization, 62% for repeat colposcopy, and 36% for repeat cytology. In multivariate analysis, the only significant predictors of compliance were history of genital herpes simplex infection (odds ratio [OR] 0.20; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.05, 0.86, P = .03) and the nature of the recommendation (OR 4.73; CI 2.51, 8.92 for loop excision; OR 8.72; CI 2.57, 29.6 for conization; and OR 2.53; CI 1.30, 4.93 for repeat colposcopy, all against observation, P<.001).


CONCLUSIONS
After colposcopy, women were more likely to comply with earlier, more intensive interventions, although the relative effect of follow-up interval and intervention could not be distinguished.
Massad
L S
LS
Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Cook County Hospital, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA. lsmassad@ameritech.net
Meyer
P M
PM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003127:Colposcopy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007087:Illinois; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011203:Poverty; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014505:Urban Population