Participation in the nationwide cervical cancer screening programme in Denmark during the COVID-19 pandemic: An observational study
Background: In contrast to most of the world, the cervical cancer screening programme continued in Denmark throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined the cervical cancer screening participation during the pandemic in Denmark. Methods: We included all women aged 23–64 y old invited to participate...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
2023-01-01
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| Series: | eLife |
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| Online Access: | https://elifesciences.org/articles/81522 |
| _version_ | 1811170050268200960 |
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| author | Tina Bech Olesen Henry Jensen Henrik Møller Jens Winther Jensen Marianne Waldstrøm Berit Andersen |
| author_facet | Tina Bech Olesen Henry Jensen Henrik Møller Jens Winther Jensen Marianne Waldstrøm Berit Andersen |
| author_sort | Tina Bech Olesen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: In contrast to most of the world, the cervical cancer screening programme continued in Denmark throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined the cervical cancer screening participation during the pandemic in Denmark.
Methods: We included all women aged 23–64 y old invited to participate in cervical cancer screening from 2015 to 2021 as registered in the Cervical Cancer Screening Database combined with population-wide registries. Using a generalised linear model, we estimated prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% CIs of cervical cancer screening participation within 90, 180, and 365 d since invitation during the pandemic in comparison with the previous years adjusting for age, year, and month of invitation.
Results: Altogether, 2,220,000 invited women (in 1,466,353 individuals) were included in the study. Before the pandemic, 36% of invited women participated in screening within 90 d, 54% participated within 180 d, and 65% participated within 365 d. At the start of the pandemic, participation in cervical cancer screening within 90 d was lower (pre-lockdown PR = 0.58; 95% CI: 0.56–0.59 and first lockdown PR = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.75–0.77) compared with the previous years. A reduction in participation within 180 d was also seen during pre-lockdown (PR = 0.89; 95% CI: 0.88–0.90) and first lockdown (PR = 0.92; 95% CI: 0.91–0.93). Allowing for 365 d to participation, only a slight reduction (3%) in participation was seen with slightly lower participation in some groups (immigrants, low education, and low income).
Conclusions: The overall participation in cervical cancer screening was reduced during the early phase of the pandemic. However, the decline almost diminished with longer follow-up time.
Funding: The study was funded by the Danish Cancer Society Scientific Committee (grant number R321-A17417) and the Danish regions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T16:51:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a0c62053182447af98f5c183511273ff |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-084X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T16:51:06Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | eLife Sciences Publications Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | eLife |
| spelling | doaj.art-a0c62053182447af98f5c183511273ff2023-02-07T16:44:54ZengeLife Sciences Publications LtdeLife2050-084X2023-01-011210.7554/eLife.81522Participation in the nationwide cervical cancer screening programme in Denmark during the COVID-19 pandemic: An observational studyTina Bech Olesen0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6295-7399Henry Jensen1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4040-7334Henrik Møller2Jens Winther Jensen3Marianne Waldstrøm4Berit Andersen5The Danish Clinical Quality Program - National Clinical Registries, Aarhus, DenmarkThe Danish Clinical Quality Program - National Clinical Registries, Aarhus, DenmarkThe Danish Clinical Quality Program - National Clinical Registries, Aarhus, DenmarkThe Danish Clinical Quality Program - National Clinical Registries, Aarhus, DenmarkDepartment of Pathology, Lillebaelt Hospital, Vejle, Denmark; Department of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, DenmarkUniversity Research Clinic for Cancer Screening, Department of Public Health Programmes,Randers Regional Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, DenmarkBackground: In contrast to most of the world, the cervical cancer screening programme continued in Denmark throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined the cervical cancer screening participation during the pandemic in Denmark. Methods: We included all women aged 23–64 y old invited to participate in cervical cancer screening from 2015 to 2021 as registered in the Cervical Cancer Screening Database combined with population-wide registries. Using a generalised linear model, we estimated prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% CIs of cervical cancer screening participation within 90, 180, and 365 d since invitation during the pandemic in comparison with the previous years adjusting for age, year, and month of invitation. Results: Altogether, 2,220,000 invited women (in 1,466,353 individuals) were included in the study. Before the pandemic, 36% of invited women participated in screening within 90 d, 54% participated within 180 d, and 65% participated within 365 d. At the start of the pandemic, participation in cervical cancer screening within 90 d was lower (pre-lockdown PR = 0.58; 95% CI: 0.56–0.59 and first lockdown PR = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.75–0.77) compared with the previous years. A reduction in participation within 180 d was also seen during pre-lockdown (PR = 0.89; 95% CI: 0.88–0.90) and first lockdown (PR = 0.92; 95% CI: 0.91–0.93). Allowing for 365 d to participation, only a slight reduction (3%) in participation was seen with slightly lower participation in some groups (immigrants, low education, and low income). Conclusions: The overall participation in cervical cancer screening was reduced during the early phase of the pandemic. However, the decline almost diminished with longer follow-up time. Funding: The study was funded by the Danish Cancer Society Scientific Committee (grant number R321-A17417) and the Danish regions.https://elifesciences.org/articles/81522cervical cancer screeningCOVID-19 pandemicepidemiology |
| spellingShingle | Tina Bech Olesen Henry Jensen Henrik Møller Jens Winther Jensen Marianne Waldstrøm Berit Andersen Participation in the nationwide cervical cancer screening programme in Denmark during the COVID-19 pandemic: An observational study eLife cervical cancer screening COVID-19 pandemic epidemiology |
| title | Participation in the nationwide cervical cancer screening programme in Denmark during the COVID-19 pandemic: An observational study |
| title_full | Participation in the nationwide cervical cancer screening programme in Denmark during the COVID-19 pandemic: An observational study |
| title_fullStr | Participation in the nationwide cervical cancer screening programme in Denmark during the COVID-19 pandemic: An observational study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Participation in the nationwide cervical cancer screening programme in Denmark during the COVID-19 pandemic: An observational study |
| title_short | Participation in the nationwide cervical cancer screening programme in Denmark during the COVID-19 pandemic: An observational study |
| title_sort | participation in the nationwide cervical cancer screening programme in denmark during the covid 19 pandemic an observational study |
| topic | cervical cancer screening COVID-19 pandemic epidemiology |
| url | https://elifesciences.org/articles/81522 |
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