Nonattendance in mammographic screening: A study of intraurban differencesin Malmo, Sweden, 1990-1994

Mammographic screening may reduce breast cancer mortality. Not all women, h owever, come for examination. The objective in this study from Malmo has be en to assess extent to which the rate of nonattendance varies between resid ential areas with different sociodemographic profiles. The study is based o n 32.605 women. 45 to 68 years old and living in 17 areas, who between 1990 and 1994 were invited to screening. Between age groups, the age-specific n onattendance rate ranged from 31% to 35 % (P < .01 ). The nonattendance rat e was highest for women 65 years or older. Between residential areas. age-a djusted nonattendance rates ranged from 23% to 43% (P < .01), A socioeconom ic score was developed to express the socioeconomic circumstances in the re sidential areas and ranged from -7.18 in the most deprived area to 5.01 in the least. Nonattendance covaried in an inverse fashion with the socioecono mic score (r = -0.78: P < .01). One of three women in this urban population did not accept the invitation to mammographic screening. Our conclusion is that women in areas with less favorable circumstances seem to be less will ing to participate.