Understanding the determinants of participation: An analysis of breast cancer screening in New South Wales
Key objectives:
To develop a better understanding of the reasons why some women undertake regular mammograms and others do not, as well as quantify the main determinants of screening behaviours amongst women
Many jurisdictions have used public funding of health care to reduce or remove price at the point of delivery of services. Using the 2002 and 2004 NSW Health Survey, CHERE researchers estimated multinomial logit models on the probability of three screening behaviours; never had a mammogram, had last mammogram within the last two year and had last mammogram more than 2 years ago. The models examined the relative importance of socio-economic and geographic factors as well as the level of education and being born overseas in predicting screening behaviours for women in the target aged group 50 - 69.
The findings showed that women in lower socio-economic groups were more likely to have never screened or be overdue for a screening. Place of residence and being in the younger age cohort (women aged 50 to 55) plays a significant role in predicting the likelihood of a woman to have never screened. More educated women are more likely to be overdue for screening.
The research indicates that despite the existence of a 'free' and well established program, social disparities remain. This indicates the need for further recruitment and maintenance strategies that focus on women (i) residing in certain geographic locations, (ii) entering the target age group, (iii) on low incomes and (iv) born overseas.
Funding source
NH&MRC Project Grant
CHERE staff
Minh Vu, Kees van Gool, Elizabeth Savage, Marion Haas
Collaborator
Steve Birch1
1. Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada
