title: Breast self-examination and cervical cancer testing among Norwegian female physicians. A nation-wide comparative study.
abstract: Practice of breast self-examination (BSE) and cervical cancer testing (Pap smear tests) was studied in a nation-wide Norwegian representative sample of 284 female physicians aged 24-67. BSE was performed at least once a month in 30.6% of the cases, and 54.6% had a Pap smear test once every third year at least. BSE was never practised among 19.2% of the physicians, the main reasons being that they forgot it, or that they stated that they were in a low risk group or had no symptoms of disease. 16.2% had never had routine Pap smears, and these physicians claimed that they were in a low risk group or had no symptoms of disease, that they had a problem in finding a physician to attend, or that they forgot to take the test. A subgroup of 135 physicians aged 35-49 years was compared with 738 women with higher university education included from a nation-wide representative sample of the general population of Norway. A significantly higher percentage of physicians practised BSE monthly or more often compared with other university educated women. However, a significantly lower percentage of the physicians had Pap smear tests every third year or more frequently. The positive association between being a physician and practising BSE, and the negative association between being a physician and having Pap smear tests, remained after controlling for potential confounders in multivariate analyses.
authors.affiliation: Institute of General Practice and Community Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway. e.o.rosvold@samfunnsmed.uio.no
authors.forename: E O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Rosvold
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hjartåker
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bjertness
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lund
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016504:Breast Self-Examination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008511:Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010822:Physicians, Women / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013038:Specialization; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*