METHODS: This was a cross sectional study of 1,312 respondents selected using a multistage design. Questionnaires relating to the demographic characteristics, socioeconomic profiles, social and physical environment, knowledge and perception of cancer screening were gathered. Multiple logistic regression models were used to examine the variables and their association with poor perceptions of cancer screening.
RESULTS: Overall, 871(66.4%) respondents had poor perceptions of cancer screenings; 68.4% among males and 64.4% among females. In the multivariable analysis in the category of income, the bottom 40% and lower middle 40%, had not subscribed to health insurance, had poor social support, absence of any family history of cancer or comorbid illnesses, no previous attendance for cancer screening and poor knowledge of cancer, all of which were associated with their poor cancer screening perceptions.
CONCLUSION: One way of developing cancer screening services to detect cancer in its early stage could include efforts to reach people with less awareness about cancer screening tests, lower socioeconomic status, and inadequate social support. Particular consideration should be taken to locate those who never had health insurance or attended cancer screening tests to provide the appropriate resources.
METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted at the four outpatient clinics of general hospitals in Tehran during the period from July through October, 2009. Bi-variate analyses and multi-variate binary logistic regression were employed to find the socio- demographic predictors of mammography utilization among participants.
RESULTS: The rate of mammography participation was 21.5% and relatively high because of access to general hospital services. More women who had undergone mammography were graduates from university or college, had full-time or part-time employment, were insured whether public or private, reported a positive family history of breast cancer, and were in the middle income level (P <0.01).The largest number of participating women was in the age range of 41 to 50 years. The results of multivariate logistic regression further showed that education (95%CI: 0.131-0.622), monthly income (95%CI: 0.038-0.945), and family history of breast cancer (95%CI: 1.97-9.28) were significantly associated (all P <0.05)with mammography participation.
CONCLUSIONS: The most important issue for a successful screening program is participation. Using a random sample, this study found that the potential predictor variables of mammography participation included a higher education level, a middle income level, and a positive family history of breast cancer for Iranian women after adjusting for all other demographic variables in the model.
METHODS: Thirty HIV-infected prisoners meeting DSM-IV pre-incarceration criteria for opioid dependence were enrolled in a prison-based, pre-release MMT program in Klang Valley, Malaysia; 3 died before release from prison leaving 27 evaluable participants. Beginning 4 months before release, standardized methadone initiation and dose escalation procedures began with 5mg daily for the first week and 5mg/daily increases weekly until 80 mg/day or craving was satisfied. Participants were followed for 12 months post-release at a MMT clinic within 25 kilometers of the prison. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to evaluate the impact of methadone dose on post-release retention in treatment.
FINDINGS: Methadone dose ≥80 mg/day at the time of release was significantly associated with retention in treatment. After 12 months of release, only 21.4% of participants on <80 mg were retained at 12 months compared to 61.5% of those on ≥80 mg (Log Rank χ(2)=(1,26) 7.6, p<0.01).
CONCLUSIONS: Higher doses of MMT at time of release are associated with greater retention on MMT after release to the community. Important attention should be given to monitoring and optimizing MMT doses to address cravings and side effects prior to community re-entry from prisons.