Post-reproductive aged women: a lost generation in the cervical cancer screening programme

Abstract

Objectives

The aims of the study were to find out why some post-reproductive aged women did not participate in the organised cervical cancer screening programme in Latvia and to clarify factors that would motivate them to take part.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out between January and July 2017 among female patients in three general practitioner (GP) practices. GP practice nurses used the Latvian national health service database to identify women aged 25–70 who had not participated in the organised programme for the last 3 years. Participants were asked to complete a specially developed questionnaire. The results were then compared between three age groups: 25–34, 35–49 and 50–70 years.

Results

Included in the study were 523 out of 992 women who had not attended screening; 41% were in the age group 50–70 years. Post-reproductive aged women statistically significantly more often did not take part in the programme because of lack of time (26.4%), too great a distance to the gynaecology screening clinic (10.4%), lengthy appointment waiting time (8.5%) and a belief that a smear test was unnecessary for them (8.5%); 32.1% of women in this age group indicated that if the cervical screen could be carried out by their GP it would facilitate their participation in the programme.

Conclusion

Post-reproductive aged women in Latvia often do not attend cervical cancer screening. Analysis of personal and organisational barriers confirmed that the involvement of GPs would encourage older women to participate in the organised screening programme.

摘要

目的：本研究的目的是找出为什么一些育龄期后的老年女性没有参加拉脱维亚有组织的宫颈癌筛查计划, 并阐明激励她们参加的因素。

方法：2017年1月至7月, 在三家全科医生诊所就诊的女性患者中进行了一项横断面研究。全科医生执业护士采用拉脱维亚国家卫生服务数据库来识别在过去3年没有参加过有组织的计划的25-70岁女性。参与者被要求完成一份专门设计的问卷。然后将结果在25-34岁、35-49岁和50-70岁三个年龄段之间进行比较。

结果：这项研究包括992名未参加筛查的女性中的523人；其中41%的女性年龄在50-70岁之间。从统计上看, 育龄期后老年女性因时间不足（26.4%）、离妇科筛查诊所太远（10.4%）、预约等待时间长（8.5%）以及认为没有必要进行宫颈涂片检查（8.5%）而不参加计划的明显增加；这一年龄段的32.1%的女性表示, 如果宫颈筛查可以由她们的家庭医生进行, 将有助于她们参与计划。

结论：拉脱维亚的育龄期后老年女性通常不参加宫颈癌筛查。对个人和组织障碍的分析证实, 全科医生的参与将鼓励老年女性参加有组织的筛查计划。

Keywords:

• Cervical cancer screening
• coverage of screening
• human papillomavirus
• post-reproductive aged women

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the GPs and nurses who took part in the study, for their enthusiasm and support, as well as all the women who agreed to participate in the study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The study was funded by the European Union joint action initiative European Guide on Quality Improvement in Comprehensive Cancer Control (CanCon), in collaboration with Riga East Clinical University Hospital.