Women's Hospital, School of Medicine Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
PLoS One. 2022 May 11;17(5):e0265881. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265881. eCollection 2022.
Cervix, breast and oral cancers account for about one-third of all cancers in India which as a group is a major contributor to all non-communicable disease-related morbidity and mortality among women. Existing evidence suggests that early diagnosis plays a pivotal role in the prevention and intervention of these cancers, and many community-based early screening and awareness programs have been in place in developed countries. Currently, there is not enough research evidence regarding the sociodemographic correlates of cervix, breast and oral cancer screening among Indian women. In the present study, we aimed to assess the self-reported percentage and sociodemographic factors associated with the use of these three types of cancer screening services among Indian women aged 15-49 years.
Data were collected from National Family Health Survey conducted during 2015-16. Sample population was 699,686 women aged 15-49 years. Associations between self-reported cervical, breast and oral cancer screening status and the associated sociodemographic factors were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression methods.
The percentage of screening for cervical (21%), breast (8.95%), and oral cancers (13.45%) varied significantly across the population sub-groups. Higher age, urban residence, higher education, having employment, health insurance, use of electronic media, higher household wealth quintile, having healthcare autonomy, showed a positive effect on taking screening services. Further analyses revealed that the strength of the associations varied considerably between urban and rural residents, denoting the need for region-specific intervention strategies. Sex of household head, age, watching TV, using radio, and having health insurance were the most significant contributors to the outcome effects.
The present study provides important insights regarding the current scenario of seeking cancer screening services among women in India. These findings could inform policy analysis and make an avenue for further in-depth analysis for future studies. Our findings conclude that cancer prevention policies should focus on leveraging the positive effects of better socioeconomic status, employment, health insurance ownership, exposure to electronic media, and better healthcare autonomy to improve the cancer screening service uptake among Indian women.
在印度，宫颈癌、乳腺癌和口腔癌约占所有癌症的三分之一，而这些癌症共同导致了女性中大多数与非传染性疾病相关的发病率和死亡率。现有证据表明，早期诊断在预防和干预这些癌症方面起着关键作用，许多发达国家已经开展了基于社区的早期筛查和宣传计划。目前，关于印度女性宫颈癌、乳腺癌和口腔癌筛查的社会人口学相关因素的研究证据还不够充分。在本研究中，我们旨在评估印度 15-49 岁女性使用这三种癌症筛查服务的自我报告率和社会人口学因素。
数据来自 2015-2016 年进行的国家家庭健康调查。样本人群为 699686 名 15-49 岁的女性。使用多变量逻辑回归方法分析了自我报告的宫颈癌、乳腺癌和口腔癌筛查状况与相关社会人口学因素之间的关联。
宫颈癌（21%）、乳腺癌（8.95%）和口腔癌（13.45%）的筛查率在人群亚组中差异显著。较高的年龄、城市居住、较高的教育程度、有就业、有医疗保险、使用电子媒体、较高的家庭财富五分位数、有医疗保健自主权对接受筛查服务有积极影响。进一步的分析表明，城乡居民之间的关联强度差异很大，这表明需要制定针对特定地区的干预策略。家庭户主的性别、年龄、看电视、使用收音机和拥有医疗保险是对结果影响最大的因素。
本研究提供了印度女性寻求癌症筛查服务的现状的重要见解。这些发现可以为政策分析提供信息，并为未来的研究提供进一步深入分析的途径。我们的研究结果得出结论，癌症预防政策应侧重于利用更好的社会经济地位、就业、医疗保险拥有率、接触电子媒体和更好的医疗保健自主权的积极影响，以提高印度女性对癌症筛查服务的利用率。
