[Socioeconomic inequalities in mammography screening in Spanish women aged 45 to 69].

OBJECTIVE: To analyse mammography screening in Spanish women aged 45 to 69 according sociodemographic variables and to describe the role of population-based breast cancer screening programmes in terms of variability of said screening.

METHODS: Cross-sectional study of the 2011 National Health Survey. The study population includes women living in Spain between late 2011 and early 2012. The weighted sample analysed corresponds to 3,086 women aged 45 to 69. The dependent variables were mammograms and when the last mammogram was performed and why. Independent variables were age, social class, occupational status, country of origin, area of origin (rural/urban), health cover and years the programme had been in place. Logistic regression models were performed, with odds ratio (OR) adjusted according to age and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).

RESULTS: Approximately 91.9% indicated that they had had a mammogram before. The women who had had their last mammography screening in the previous 1 to 2 years were associated with the highest social class (OR: 1.69; 95% CI: 1.03-2.75). The reason for performing the last periodic mammogram via a population-based programme was associated with women aged between 60 and 69 years (OR: 1.51; 95% CI: 1.04-2.19).

CONCLUSIONS: The results show that there are still inequalities in preventive practices. Possible risk groups need to be identified in order to promote the implementation of specific actions.