Women with obesity in cervical cancer screening. The double penalty: Underscreening and income inequalities

Abstract

The regular performance of Pap tests reduces the mortality of cervical cancer. Obesity is associated with low Pap test rates. We analyze the combined role of obesity and low income. We calculated a Slope Index of Inequality. Among the 28,905 women included, 23.1% were underscreened. The rate of underscreening increased with BMI. The income gradient increased significantly from 0.17 among normal-weight women to 0.19 in overweight and 0.23 in obese women (p = 0.047). Women who are obese are subject to a double penalty in cervical cancer screening: they are underscreened and subject to a more unfavorable economic gradient than normalweight women.

Keywords: Cervical cancer screening; Obesity; Social inequalities.