The European Journal of Public Health Advance Access originally published online on May 12, 2009
The European Journal of Public Health 2009 19(5):499-503; doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckp029
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Ethnic Inequalities |
Results of a cervical cancer screening programme from an area of Barcelona (Spain) with a large immigrant population
Montserrat Casamitjana1,2, María Sala1,2, Darío Ochoa1,2,3, Pere Fusté4, Xavier Castells1,2, Francesc Alameda5 and SRHCP group*
1 Health Services Evaluation and Clinical Epidemiology Service, Hospital del Mar-IMIM, Barcelona, Spain
2 CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
3 Training Unit in Preventive Medicine and Public Health IMAS-UPF-ASBP, Barcelona, Spain
4 Gynaecology Service, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain
5 Pathology Service, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona Spain
Correspondence: Maria Sala, Health Services Evaluation and Clinical Epidemiology Service, Hospital del Mar-IMIM, Barcelona, Passeig Marítim 25-029, 08003 Barcelona, Spain, tel: +34 93 2483285, fax: +34 93 2483496, e-mail: msalaserra{at}imas.imim.es.
Received October 15, 2008 , accepted February 3, 2009
Background: To assess the participation rate and results of cytological assessment in the context of cervical cancer screening activities in an area of Barcelona (Spain) with a large immigrant population. Methods: Descriptive retrospective study of cytologies performed between 2001 and 2006 in women 
14 years of age living in 2 out of 10 districts of Barcelona (n = 129 327) and participating in cervical cancer screening activities within a sexual and reproductive health care programme. Results: Between 2001 and 2006, overall participation among women aged 20- to 64-years old was 50.7%, with higher participation among women aged 20–34 years than among those aged 50–64 years (63.8 and 36.0%, respectively; P < 0.01). The median frequency was 0.5 cytologies/year. The rate of pathological results increased from 11.4
in 2001 to 29.0 in 2006 (P < 0.001). This increase was higher among younger women and was mainly due to an increase in the rate of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (L-SIL). Conclusions: These results show a low rate of participation in the public cervical cancer screening programme and an increase in the number of pathological results during the study period. These results provide useful information at a time when significant changes in the prevention of cervical cancer are being planned.
Keywords: cervical cancer screening, participation, immigration
*The SRHCP group comprises of Del Amo E, Bailon P, Cornellana MJ, Guasch J, Hernández JL, Honrado M, Khartchenko E, Laso E, Lopez S, Ollé C, Orte T, Padrò M, Pellicer P, Prieto P, Ramírez A, Sala A, Trens C, Vilamala M and Zaragoza A.