Skip Navigation

The European Journal of Public Health 1998 8(2):146-149; doi:10.1093/eurpub/8.2.146
© 1998 by European Journal of Public Health
This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (5)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by PELFRENE, E. R.
Right arrow Articles by BACKER, G. D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by PELFRENE, E. R.
Right arrow Articles by BACKER, G. D.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

BREAST CANCER

Uptake in breast cancer screening

A sociogeographical analysis

EDWIN R. PELFRENE1, LUC J.P.M. BLEYEN1 and GUY DE BACKER2

1Centre for Prevention and Early Detection of Cancer, Department of Public Health, University of Gent Gent, Belgium
2Department of Public Health, University of Gent Gent, Belgium

Dr. Luc Bleyen, Centre for Prevention and Early Detection of Cancer, Department of Public Health, University of Gent. University Hospital - Block A. De Pintelaan 185, B-9000 Gent, Belgium, tel. +32 9 2403636, fax +32 9 2404994, e-mail: luc.bleyen{at}rug.ac.be

During the period 1992 to 1994, the female population aged 40 to 69 years old and living in Gent, Belgium, was invited through a personal letter to participate in a breast cancer screening programme. The women were asked to consult a physician before referral to a local radiologist. After six months, a reminder letter was sent. The eligible population amounted to 40,713 women. Of these, 22.5% were recorded to have attended for a screening mammography. The uptake levels were analysed per statistical sector, which is a more or less homogeneous quarter in social respect. The age-standardized participation ranged from 6 to 42% among the 150 sectors taken into account. The participation was definitely highest in well-to-do neighbourhoods and lowest in the poorer inner-city quarters. In a multivariate analysis, social exclusion indicators such as percentage of persons on welfare and percentage of unoccupied dwellings ranked first. On condition that this social gradient is confirmed on an individual basis, sociogeographical analysis may well be a powerful tool in area-based health promotion campaigns.

Keywords: breast cancer, Gent, Belgium, mammography, screening, sociogeographical analysis


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.