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Understanding cervical screening non-attendance among ethnic minority women in England

Marlow, L; Wardle, J; Waller, J; (2015) Understanding cervical screening non-attendance among ethnic minority women in England. British Journal of Cancer , 113 pp. 833-839. 10.1038/bjc.2015.248. Green open access

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Abstract

Background: Women from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds are less likely to attend cervical screening than White British women. This study explored socio-demographic and attitudinal correlates of cervical screening non-attendance among BAME women. Methods: Women (30-60 years) were recruited from Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Caribbean, African and White-British backgrounds (n=720). Participants completed structured interviews. Results: BAME women were more likely to be non-attenders than white British women, (44%-71% vs. 12%) and fell into two groups: the disengaged and the overdue. Migrating to the UK, speaking a language other than English and low education level were associated with being disengaged. Being overdue was associated with older age. Three attitudinal barriers were associated with being overdue for screening among BAME women: low perceived risk of cervical cancer due to sexual inactivity, belief that screening is unnecessary without symptoms and difficulty finding an appointment that fits in with other commitments. Conclusion: BAME non-attenders appear to fall into two groups and interventions for these groups may need to be targeted and tailored accordingly. It is important to ensure that BAME women understand cancer screening is intended for asymptomatic women and that those who have ceased sexual activity may still be at risk.

Type: Article
Title: Understanding cervical screening non-attendance among ethnic minority women in England
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2015.248
Publisher version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/bjc.2015.248
Language: English
Additional information: This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Keywords: Pap smear, ethnicity, race, migration, attitudes, beliefs, inequalities, disparities
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health > Epidemiology and Public Health
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1469391
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