Clinical and Experimental Obstetrics and Gynecology
Volume 32, Issue 1, 2005, Pages 52-54

Cervix cancer screening among Greek and immigrant women: The experience of a Greek District Hospital (Article)

Paraskevopoulou E. , Economou A. , Panagopoulos P.* , Zikopoulos M. , Petrakos G. , Koutras I.
  • a Department of Obstetrics, Tzaneio Hospital, Piraeus, Greece
  • b Department of Obstetrics, Tzaneio Hospital, Piraeus, Greece
  • c Department of Obstetrics, Tzaneio Hospital, Piraeus, Greece, Lasithiou, 69, Glyfada 16674, Greece
  • d Department of Obstetrics, Tzaneio Hospital, Piraeus, Greece
  • e Department of Obstetrics, Tzaneio Hospital, Piraeus, Greece
  • f Department of Obstetrics, Tzaneio Hospital, Piraeus, Greece

Abstract

Purpose: To explore whether there are differences in Papanicolaou (Pap) smear screening between native and immigrant women that attended our outpatient clinic. Methods: In this retrospective study, from January 2002 until December 2003 we examined age, nationality, marital status, economic status (self-reported family income per year) and previous Pap test screening frequency; 3,316 women were included in the study. Results: The average age was 41.95 years. The majority of the women who had had a Pap test (58.4%) were Greeks and 41.6% immigrants. Regarding marital status a percentage of 61.2% were married, 13.7% were single and 24.9% were divorced. Regarding economic status 71.0% of the women had a low-income, 25.1% a middle-income and 3.8% a high-income. Of the women 24.99% had never had a Pap test in their lives. Discussion/Conclusion: The possibility of having easy access to a clinic and to routine health care has a critical influence on the cancer screening habits of immigrant women. Opportunistic Pap smear screening as part of a pregnancy or family-planning checkup in local clinics is an acceptable strategy for poor immigrant women.

Author Keywords

Greeks Cervix cancer screening immigrants

Index Keywords

Vaginal Smears immigrant lowest income group mass screening human Health Behavior Marital Status Aged cancer screening marriage social status Humans female Outpatient Clinics, Hospital Greece pregnancy Article Retrospective Studies major clinical study adult uterine cervix cancer age health care access Uterine Cervical Neoplasms Papanicolaou Test Emigration and Immigration retrospective study social class family planning
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-17444426751&partnerID=40&md5=49b23692a1031213f09eb7e896b6dffb
ISSN: 03906663
Cited by: 2
Original Language: English