Browsing by Author "Jovicevic, Ana (6504029125)"

Purpose: To assess the motivation and barrier factors influencing participation of women in opportunistic breast cancer screening in Belgrade, Serbia, and to detect changes in these factors over time. Methods: A cross-sectional study has been carried out at the Institute for Oncology and Radiology of Serbia in 2009 and 2016 among women aged 40 to 69 years from Belgrade who came at the Institute for opportunistic breast cancer screening. The demographic characteristics, data regarding breast exams practices, screening motivators and barriers and sources of information on breast cancer were collected by self-administered questionnaire. Results: The questionnaire was completed by 478 women in 2009 and 453 in 2016, with increase in women reporting regular mammograms or at least one previous mammogram (from 30.1% to 58.6%, p=0.000). In 2009, the most frequent motivating factors were health maintenance (36%), friend’s advice, TV, cancer in the family or fear of breast cancer; in 2016, advice from gynecologist (significant increase from 10.9% to 37.7%, p=0.000), health maintenance, family cancer and fear of cancer. The most frequent reasons for not going to exams regularly were absence of breast problems, crowded doctor’s offices and no family breast cancer. Conclusions: These findings provide information on motivation and barrier factors that may influence women’s decision to participate in opportunistic breast cancer screening. Those factors have changed over time and the role of physicians has increased significantly. Further exploration of motivating and barrier factors and the extent of their association with actual women’s behavior would be helpful for the development of interventions to improve organized and opportunistic screening participation. © 2018 Zerbinis Publications. All rights reserved.

Purpose: To assess the motivation and barrier factors influencing participation of women in opportunistic breast cancer screening in Belgrade, Serbia, and to detect changes in these factors over time. Methods: A cross-sectional study has been carried out at the Institute for Oncology and Radiology of Serbia in 2009 and 2016 among women aged 40 to 69 years from Belgrade who came at the Institute for opportunistic breast cancer screening. The demographic characteristics, data regarding breast exams practices, screening motivators and barriers and sources of information on breast cancer were collected by self-administered questionnaire. Results: The questionnaire was completed by 478 women in 2009 and 453 in 2016, with increase in women reporting regular mammograms or at least one previous mammogram (from 30.1% to 58.6%, p=0.000). In 2009, the most frequent motivating factors were health maintenance (36%), friend’s advice, TV, cancer in the family or fear of breast cancer; in 2016, advice from gynecologist (significant increase from 10.9% to 37.7%, p=0.000), health maintenance, family cancer and fear of cancer. The most frequent reasons for not going to exams regularly were absence of breast problems, crowded doctor’s offices and no family breast cancer. Conclusions: These findings provide information on motivation and barrier factors that may influence women’s decision to participate in opportunistic breast cancer screening. Those factors have changed over time and the role of physicians has increased significantly. Further exploration of motivating and barrier factors and the extent of their association with actual women’s behavior would be helpful for the development of interventions to improve organized and opportunistic screening participation. © 2018 Zerbinis Publications. All rights reserved.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to present the Screening Registry and the results of organized cervical cancer screening program (OCCSP) in the Republic of Serbia using a database made as an output model, linked with the Screening Registry. Methods: Data were respectively collected over a one-month period from 3 state primary health care centers (and related hospitals/clinical center) in central Serbia in which OCCSP was conducted. The sample consisted of women of the target population (25 to 64 years old) who responded the call for Pap test. Results: The most frequent abnormal cytological diagnosis was in the 38-50 years age group, and consisted of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance - ASCUS (7.5%) and low grade squamous intraepithelial lesions - L-SIL (7.3%). The most frequent abnormal colposcopie finding in the youngest age group of women (25-37 years) was iodine negative epithelium (35.7%) and in the group of women aged 38-50 and 51-64 years acid-white epithelium. The most common histopathological diagnosis was L-SIL. Positive predictive value of colposcopy in relation to the Pap test was 0.64 (95% CI=0.56-0.70). Interrater agreement (between cytotechnicians and supervisors) measured by the Cohen's coefficient was 0.94 (95% Ci=0.91 to 0.97), but between cytology (supervisors) and pathology findings it was 0.83 (95% CI = 0.67 to 0.99). Conclusion: The existence of a screening registry contributes to a better epidemiological surveillance of a screening program, and to a possibility for development of various epidemiological researches.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to present the Screening Registry and the results of organized cervical cancer screening program (OCCSP) in the Republic of Serbia using a database made as an output model, linked with the Screening Registry. Methods: Data were respectively collected over a one-month period from 3 state primary health care centers (and related hospitals/clinical center) in central Serbia in which OCCSP was conducted. The sample consisted of women of the target population (25 to 64 years old) who responded the call for Pap test. Results: The most frequent abnormal cytological diagnosis was in the 38-50 years age group, and consisted of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance - ASCUS (7.5%) and low grade squamous intraepithelial lesions - L-SIL (7.3%). The most frequent abnormal colposcopie finding in the youngest age group of women (25-37 years) was iodine negative epithelium (35.7%) and in the group of women aged 38-50 and 51-64 years acid-white epithelium. The most common histopathological diagnosis was L-SIL. Positive predictive value of colposcopy in relation to the Pap test was 0.64 (95% CI=0.56-0.70). Interrater agreement (between cytotechnicians and supervisors) measured by the Cohen's coefficient was 0.94 (95% Ci=0.91 to 0.97), but between cytology (supervisors) and pathology findings it was 0.83 (95% CI = 0.67 to 0.99). Conclusion: The existence of a screening registry contributes to a better epidemiological surveillance of a screening program, and to a possibility for development of various epidemiological researches.

Purpose: To assess the knowledge and attitudes of men in Serbia about prostate cancer (PCA) and possibilities for its early detection and treatment in 2011. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 407 men of various ages and education levels selected randomly and divided in 2 groups according to age (up to 40 and over 40 years). The assessment of knowledge and attitudes was based on a survey made up of 12 multiple choice questions conducted with direct contact with respondents from October 15th to December 15th 2011 with their voluntary consent. The results were evaluated in the total sample and between the groups. Results: Patient groups significantly differed according to knowledge about PCA treatment success (p<0.001) and stage in which PCA is most frequently detected (p<0.001) as well as according to attitudes about community-based interventions for increasing the awareness of PCA (p<0.001). Sixty-one percent of respondents over 50 years hadn't done preventive prostate examination despite recommendations. Ninety percent of all respondents believed the community-based intervention should have been implemented in Serbia to increase the men's awareness of PCA. Conclusion: The study reported lack of men's knowledge about PCA in Serbia in 2011, while there was a common agreement among men on the necessity of spreading more information about this disease. © 2019 Zerbinis Publications. All Rights Reserved.

Purpose: To assess the knowledge and attitudes of men in Serbia about prostate cancer (PCA) and possibilities for its early detection and treatment in 2011. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 407 men of various ages and education levels selected randomly and divided in 2 groups according to age (up to 40 and over 40 years). The assessment of knowledge and attitudes was based on a survey made up of 12 multiple choice questions conducted with direct contact with respondents from October 15th to December 15th 2011 with their voluntary consent. The results were evaluated in the total sample and between the groups. Results: Patient groups significantly differed according to knowledge about PCA treatment success (p<0.001) and stage in which PCA is most frequently detected (p<0.001) as well as according to attitudes about community-based interventions for increasing the awareness of PCA (p<0.001). Sixty-one percent of respondents over 50 years hadn't done preventive prostate examination despite recommendations. Ninety percent of all respondents believed the community-based intervention should have been implemented in Serbia to increase the men's awareness of PCA. Conclusion: The study reported lack of men's knowledge about PCA in Serbia in 2011, while there was a common agreement among men on the necessity of spreading more information about this disease. © 2019 Zerbinis Publications. All Rights Reserved.