Mass media campaign improves cervical screening across all socio-economic groups

Low socio-economic status (SES) has been associated with lower cervical screening rates. Mass media is one known strategy that can increase cervical screening participation. This study sought to determine whether a mass media campaign conducted in Victoria, Australia, in 2005 was effective in encour...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Health education research 2009-10, Vol.24 (5), p.867-875
Main Authors: Anderson, Jenny O., Mullins, Robyn M., Siahpush, Mohammad, Spittal, Matthew J., Wakefield, Melanie
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Access to Information
Adolescent
Adoption (Ideas)
Adult
Aged
Attrition (Research Studies)
Australia
Behavior Change
Campaigns
Cancer
Cervical cancer
Cytology
Economic Status
Evidence
Female
Females
Foreign Countries
Health Behavior
Health Education
Health Needs
Health Promotion
Health Promotion - methods
Health technology assessment
Higher Education
Humans
Information Dissemination
Information Utilization
Literature Reviews
Mass Media
Mass Media Effects
Mass Screening
Middle Aged
ORIGINAL ARTICLES
Participation Rates
Patient Acceptance of Health Care
Population Distribution
Population Education
Pregnancy
Prevention
Program Effectiveness
Program Implementation
Public Health
Screening
Screening Tests
Smoking
Social Class
Socioeconomic Status
Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - diagnosis
Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - prevention & control
Vaginal Smears
Victoria
Women
Young Adult
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Summary:Low socio-economic status (SES) has been associated with lower cervical screening rates. Mass media is one known strategy that can increase cervical screening participation. This study sought to determine whether a mass media campaign conducted in Victoria, Australia, in 2005 was effective in encouraging women across all SES groups to screen. Data were obtained from the Victorian Cervical Cytology Registry for each Pap test registered during 2005 and categorized into SES quintiles using the Index of Socio-Economic Advantage/Disadvantage. Negative binomial regression was used to determine the impact of the campaign on the weekly number of Pap tests and whether the media campaign had a differential effect by SES, after adjusting for the number of workdays per week, age group and time since previous test. Cervical screening increased 27% during the campaign period and was equally effective in encouraging screening across all SES groups, including low-SES women. Mass media campaigns can prompt increased rates of cervical screening among all women, not just those from more advantaged areas. Combining media with additional strategies targeted at low-SES women may help lessen the underlying differences in screening rates across SES.
ISSN:0268-1153
1465-3648
DOI:10.1093/her/cyp023