title: Changes in the magnitude of social inequality in the uptake of cervical cancer screening in Taiwan, a country implementing a population-based organized screening program.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We sought to examine changes in the magnitude of social inequality in the uptake of cervical cancer screening between 2001 and 2009 in Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used data from the 2001 and 2009 Taiwan National Health Interview Surveys to calculate the absolute (slope of index of inequality, SII) and relative (relative index of inequality, RII) summary measures of social inequality in the uptake of Pap smear tests to indicate the magnitude of social inequality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of having had a Pap smear during the previous 3 years increased in each age and socioeconomic group from 2001 to 2009. The SII and RII by urbanization and education level decreased significantly, while the SII and RII by income level increased significantly between the two study years. The largest increase in inequality of prevalence from 2001 to 2009 was between women living in suburban and rural areas with highest income level and women live in metropolitan areas with lowest income level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The changes in magnitude of social inequality in the uptake of cervical cancer screening differed by indicators of socioeconomic position. Further studies are needed to explore the mechanisms that result in social inequality by different indicators of socioeconomic position.
authors.forename: Shu-Ti
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Chiou
authors.forename: Chien-Yuan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Baai-Shyun
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Hurng
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public Health, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan. robertlu@mail.ncku.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Tsung-Hsueh
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013624:Taiwan; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*