title: The relationship between four health-related quality-of-life indicators and use of mammography and Pap test screening in US women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Limited evidence is available to explain the role of four components of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) on breast and cervical cancer screening. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between four HRQoL aspects and use of mammography and Pap test screening in US women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were obtained from the 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). The outcome variables were receiving mammogram <2 versus ≥2 years in women aged 50-74 years, and receiving Pap test <3 versus ≥3 years in women aged 18-64 years. Eight logistic regression models were conducted to test the role of four HRQoL aspects (general health status, physical HRQoL, mental HRQoL, and activity limitation) on the two screening variables, after adjusting for covariates. Statistical analysis accounted for the complex sampling design of the BRFSS, and the a priori alpha error was set at p ≤ 0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among respondents, approximately 74 and 78 % of the women received mammography and Pap test, respectively. Three HRQoL aspects (general health status, physical HRQoL, and activity limitation) were significantly associated with mammography use (all p values < 0.05), whereas two HRQoL aspects (general health status and physical HRQoL) were significantly associated with Pap test (p values ≤ 0.05). All significant relationships demonstrated higher cancer screening rates among individuals with better HRQoL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HRQoL is an important factor associated with use of mammography and Pap test. Future studies should explore the mechanisms associated with an individual's HRQoL and use HRQoL assessment as an avenue to influence adherence to use of mammography and Pap tests.
authors: Department of Pharmacy Practice, South College School of Pharmacy, 400 Goodys Lane, Knoxville, TN, 37922, USA, pgandhi@southcollegetn.edu.
authors: Pranav K
authors: PK
authors: Gandhi
authors: William M
authors: WM
authors: Gentry
authors: Jeffery L
authors: JL
authors: Kibert
authors: Erica Y
authors: EY
authors: Lee
authors: Whitney
authors: W
authors: Jordan
authors: Michael B
authors: MB
authors: Bottorff
authors: I-Chan
authors: IC
authors: Huang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D040343:Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D055815:Young Adult