More than 85% of women in Portugal between the ages of 45 and 69 have had a mammogram, with most of them having been screened in the previous two years, according to a study published in the European Journal of Public Health.
Results from the 2005/2006 National Health Survey, which included interviews with 3,045 women, found 86% of women between the ages of 45 to 49 underwent a screening mammogram, while 88% of women ages 50 to 69 years received a mammogram.
The study also found women in Norte had the lowest rate of never having been screened, while women in the Açores had the highest rate of never having been screened. Participants with less than four years of formal education also were more likely to have never been screened than the more educated.
The researchers, led by Dr. Fernanda Dourado from the department of clinical epidemiology at the University of Porto Medical School, noted that understanding mammography use is "essential to promote the participation in breast cancer screening."
