title: Clinical breast examination and mammography: inequalities in Southern and Northeast Brazilian regions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the prevalence and associated factors of doing clinical breast examinations (CBE) and mammogram (MMG) in the Southern and Northeast Brazilian regions, focusing on some social inequalities.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a cross-sectional study using data from the 2008 National Household Sampling Survey (PNAD). We evaluated the prevalence of CBE during the last year and of the MMG in the last two years, which were analyzed based on demographic (age, skin color, and marital status) and socioeconomic (income and schooling) variables. Gross and adjusted prevalence ratios were obtained using Poisson regression models. All analyses were stratified by region.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sample comprised 27,718 women aged 40 to 69 years. Less than a half of the women followed the recommendation of annual CBE performance in both the regions. The MMG prevalence during the last two years was 58.6 and 45.5% for the Southern and Northeast regions, respectively. More than a quarter of the women had never had a MMG (26.5% in the Southern and 40.6% in the Northeast regions). Not having performed both examinations was almost two times higher in the Northeast region (29.7%) when compared with the Southern (15.9%). The risk for not having performed both examinations was greater among nonwhite women, aged 60 to 69 years, with lower schooling level and family income.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Important inequalities were seen between the Southern and Northeast regions for CBE and MMG. Health public policies should prioritize the most vulnerable groups to reduce these inequalities.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Zaida da Silva
authors.initials: Zda S
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernando César
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Wehrmeister
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Paula
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*