Inequalities associated with lack of mammography in Teresina-Piauí-Brazil, 2010-2011.

Introduction: Randomized studies have shown that screening for breast cancer with mammography reduces the breast cancer mortality. However there are signs of a great inequality in access to mammography in Brazil.

Objectives: To analyze the percentage of women who did not undergo mammography according to socioeconomic and demographic variables in women aged from 40 to 69 years in Teresina, Piauí State, Brazil.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional population-based study in women aged 40-69 years in Teresina-Piauí in 2010/2011. The sampling was randomly conducted in five stages. The data were processed by SPSS 19.0 and it was performed univariate and multivariate analysis.

Results: Among 433 women who answered the questionnaire, 75,3% had a mammography and 17,2% of these women had not a mammography over the last two years. The lack of breast cancer screening was associated with non-white skin color (p = 0,030), never being married (p = 0,041), low levels of education (p = 0,010), low family income (p < 0,001), smoking (p = 0,006), having no private health insurance (p < 0,001). The Unified National Health System (SUS) performed 56,3% of reported mammograms.

Conclusion: About 24.7% of women in the sample never had a mammography. According to the findings, the lack of breast cancer screening is associated with social and racial inequalities.