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

Slavica  Djordjević; Igor Dimitrijev; Katarina  Boričić; Snezana  Radovanović; Ivana Simić  Vukomanović; Olgica Mihaljević; Sofija  Jovanović; Nevena  Randjelović; Ana  Lacković; Snezana  Knezević; Veroslava  Stanković; Marija  Sorak; Verica  Jovanović

doi:10.18502/ijph.v53i2.14923

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

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijph.v53i2.14923

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.