title: Determinants of a GP visit and cervical cancer screening examination in Great Britain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In the UK, women are requested to attend a cervical cancer test every 3 years as part of the NHS Cervical Screening Programme. This analysis compares the determinants of a cervical cancer screening examination with the determinants of a GP visit in the same year and investigates if cervical cancer screening participation is more likely for women who visit their GP.
  
  
  METHODS
  A recursive probit model was used to analyse the determinants of GP visits and cervical cancer screening examinations. GP visits were considered to be endogenous in the cervical cancer screening examination. The analysed sample consisted of 52,551 observations from 8,386 women of the British Household Panel Survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The analysis showed that a higher education level and a worsening self-perceived health status increased the probability of a GP visit, whereas smoking decreased the probability of a GP visit. GP visits enhanced the uptake of a cervical cancer screening examination in the same period. The only variables which had the same positive effect on both dependent variables were higher education and living with a partner. The probability of a cervical cancer screening examination increased also with previous cervical cancer screening examinations and being in the recommended age groups. All other variables had different results for the uptake of a GP visit or a cervical cancer screening examination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most of the determinants of visiting a GP and cervical cancer screening examination differ from each other and a GP visit enhances the uptake of a smear test.
authors.affiliation: University of Sheffield, School of Health and Related Sciences, Sheffield, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Alexander Michael
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4709-4767
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Labeit
authors.affiliation: FOM University of Applied Science for Economics & Management, Essen, Germany.|Children's Hospital, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Peinemann
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D058006:General Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult