Characteristics of respondents to a cervical cancer screening program in a developing country.
BACKGROUND
Characteristics associated with the response to a personalized, mailed invitation for the Papanicolaou (Pap) test vary among women. This study assesses the relationship between selected characteristics (e.g., demographic, obstetric, Pap history) and the response to a letter of invitation to undergo a Pap test among Mexican women affiliated with the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS).


METHODS
Study subjects were 328 women affiliated with the IMSS who received and responded to a mailed letter of invitation, and 247 age- and clinically matched controls who received but did not respond to the letter of invitation. Statistical analysis consisted of multivariate conditional regression model.


RESULTS
Having better housing conditions was one of the factors associated with letter response (medium level vs. low level, odds ratio [OR] = 3.17, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 2.46-4.09; high level vs. low level, OR = 2.65, 95% CI = 2.06-3.41). Other factors positively associated with letter response were greater number of pregnancies, previous Pap testing, being pleased at receipt of the letter of invitation, and knowing another woman who had received the invitation. Factors associated negatively to letter response were 7 or more years of formal education (> or =7 years vs. 0-6 years, OR = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.40-0.63), having a current job, availability of other medical services in addition to the IMSS, and willingness to receive Pap results by mail.


CONCLUSIONS
Low educational level is not a limitation for cervical cancer screening call and recall among women affiliated with the IMSS.
Torres-Mejía
Gabriela
G
Centro de Investigación en Salud Poblacional, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (INSP), Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. gtorres@correo.insp3.mx
Salmerón-Castro
Jorge
J
Téllez-Rojo
Martha M
MM
Lazcano-Ponce
Eduardo C
EC
Juárez-Márquez
Sergio A
SA
Torres-Torija
Irene
I
Gil-Abadíe
Leobardo
L
D000328:Adult; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008800:Mexico; D008875:Middle Aged; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014626:Vaginal Smears