1. [The STF Project: Female Tumor Screening].
- Author
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Branca M, Rossi E, Cedri S, Migliore G, Midulla C, De Lorio P, Giovagnoli MR, Carraro C, Vecchione A, Bonelli L, Nicolò G, Gustavino C, Ferreri M, Barizzone D, Santi L, and Morosini PL
- Subjects
- Adult, Aged, Attitude to Health, Carcinoma, Squamous Cell diagnosis, Carcinoma, Squamous Cell epidemiology, Female, Health Education economics, Health Education methods, Humans, Italy epidemiology, Mass Screening economics, Mass Screening psychology, Middle Aged, National Health Programs economics, Patient Acceptance of Health Care psychology, Patient Acceptance of Health Care statistics & numerical data, Patient Compliance statistics & numerical data, Pilot Projects, Postal Service, Prevalence, Program Evaluation, Random Allocation, Rome epidemiology, Socioeconomic Factors, Telephone, Urban Population, Uterine Cervical Neoplasms diagnosis, Uterine Cervical Neoplasms epidemiology, Uterine Cervical Dysplasia diagnosis, Uterine Cervical Dysplasia epidemiology, Health Education organization & administration, Health Surveys, Mass Screening organization & administration, National Health Programs organization & administration, Pamphlets, Patient Selection, Uterine Cervical Neoplasms prevention & control, Vaginal Smears psychology, Vaginal Smears statistics & numerical data
- Abstract
A pilot study has been carried out to evaluate women's compliance to a screening program for cervical cancer. The study, initiated in 1994, was performed in conjunction with the ACRO project of the CNR by the Italian National Health Institute, in collaboration with La Sapienza University of Rome and the National Institute for Cancer Research in Genoa. A preliminary telephone survey was carried out on a sample of 400 women (200 in Rome and 200 in Genoa) to assess, among other factors, their attitude towards the screening program. Afterwards, an ad hoc advertising campaign was launched and 21,827 women, randomly chosen from the register office's lists, were sent a personal invitation to participate in the screening. Most women showed interest in attending the screening program at the interview, but the percentages of participation were low (25.7% in Genoa and 27.3% in Rome). On the other hand, a high percentage of women who participated in the screening had already had a Pap test in the previous three years (Genoa, 73%; Rome, 76%). The recruiting techniques that were used in this study, and that are commonly used, do not seem to reach the core of the target population for cervical screening, i.e. women who have never had a Pap test or who had a Pap test more than 5 years earlier. New methods of recruiting aimed at categories at risk and based more on direct contacts need to be developed.
- Published
- 2001