Sociodemographic Factors Associated with Breast Cancer Screening Among Women in Serbia, National Health Survey

  • Slavica Djordjević Department of the High School of Health, Academy of Applied Studies Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
  • Igor Dimitrijev Department of the High School of Health, Academy of Applied Studies Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
  • Katarina Boričić Institute of Public Health of Serbia “Dr. Milan Jovanović Batut”, Belgrade, Serbia
  • Snezana Radovanović Department of Social medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia
  • Ivana Simić Vukomanović Department of Social medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia
  • Olgica Mihaljević Department of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia
  • Sofija Jovanović Faculty of Medicine, University Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
  • Nevena Randjelović Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia
  • Ana Lacković Health Center "Dr Milutin Ivković" Palilula, Belgrade, Serbia
  • Snezana Knezević Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia
  • Veroslava Stanković Department of the High School of Health, Academy of Applied Studies Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
  • Marija Sorak Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia
  • Verica Jovanović Institute of Public Health of Serbia “Dr. Milan Jovanović Batut”, Belgrade, Serbia
Keywords: Socioeconomic inequalities; Breast cancer screening; Mammography; National health survey; Serbia

Abstract

Background: Approximately 2.3 million female breast cancer cases were identified globally in 2020, resulting in 685,000 fatalities among women. Serbia too experiences a high breast cancer burden. Effective reduction of breast cancer incidence and mortality necessitates strategic measures encompassing the implementation of cost-effective screening technology. However, various impediments to screening implementation persist. We aimed to estimate the impact of socioeconomic factors on breast cancer screening in Serbia.

Methods: Data from the 2019 National Health Survey of the population of Serbia was. The research was a descriptive, cross-sectional analytical study by design, on a representative sample of the population of Serbia. Data from women aged 15+ yr were used to examine the demographic and socioeconomic factors associated with breast cancer screening inequalities.

Results: In Serbia the age group of women who predominantly participated in organized breast cancer screening (39.5%) were the ones aged 65+ yr. Women with a secondary education were 2.1x more likely to undergo a screening exam voluntarily (57.5%), compared to women with a higher education background (26.6%). When considering marital and financial circumstances, married/unmarried women from an affluent financial category exhibited a notably higher frequency of self-initiating a mammography (73% and 48.5%) in comparison to those financially struggling (27.6%).

Conclusion:  Strong support is imperative for countries to establish prevention and early detection programs for cancer.

Published
2024-02-18
Section
Articles