Participation of the Women Covered by Family Physicians in Breast Cancer Screening Program in Kerman, Iran

Abstract

<b>Background:</b> Mammography screening is a method for reducing breast cancer mortality in women over 40years old . A participation rate of at least 70% is a prerequisite for screening programs. This study aimed atdetermining the participation rate of women in breast cancer screening in Iran. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: Thestudy population in this prospective research consisted of 35 to 69 years old women in the villages and townsKerman District, in 2013. The data were collected by a well-validated risk assessment questionnaire. Thequestionnaires were completed with the help of health workers and technicians in the health centers, who weretrained on breast cancer screening program. <br/><b>Results</b>: As a whole, 19,651 women were invited to complete thequestionnaire, of whom 15,794 women (80.37%) completed it. In the urban region, of 3150 eligible women 2728women (86.60%) participated in the study. The acceptance rates for mammography in rural and urban regionswere 34.95% and 8.75%, respectively. <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: Finally, 3.8% and 16.34% of 35 to 69 years old women inthe urban regions were mammographed, respectively. <br/><b>Conclusion</b>: The low participation of eligible women inbreast cancer screening program alerts us against including the program in the health insurance package.