[The practice of preventive mammography in Catalonia [Spain]: a step forward]

To determine and compare the practice of periodic preventive mammography in women aged 50-69 years in the eight health regions of Catalonia in 1994 and 2002.

Data from the 1994 and 2002 Catalan Health Survey Interview were used. A cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of the non-institutionalized population of Catalonia was performed. All women aged 20 years old or older who directly answered the questionnaire (5,986 and 3,265 women in 1994 and 2002, respectively) were included. The influence of age, social class, type of health insurance and health region was evaluated using multivariate logistic regression analysis.

In 1994, women aged 40-49 years reported a higher proportion of mammographic screening (42.8% of women in this age group) than the other groups, while in 2002 the highest proportion (76.3%) was observed in women aged 50-59 years. Rates of screening mammography in women aged 50-69 years were 26.9% in 1994 and 69.1% in 2002, increasing in all health regions and reducing differences among regions. In 1994 and 2002 women in the most advantaged social classes (I, II and III) reported higher proportions of mammographic screening than those in social class V, although this gap was smaller in 2002.

The practice of preventive periodic mammography has significantly increased in women in the target group (women aged 50-69 years). Preventive mammography was lower in non-targeted age groups except in the group of women aged 40-49 years old, in which it was significantly increased. No significant differences in the practice of mammographic screening were observed among health regions in 2002.