Impact of media reporting of cervical cancer in a UK celebrity on a population-based cervical screening programme

Abstract

Objectives To determine the impact of media reporting of cervical cancer in a UK celebrity on cervical screening uptake, response time and colposcopy referral and attendance. Setting Population-based national cervical screening programme for women in Wales, UK. Methods A time series regression analysis of the Welsh national cervical screening and colposcopy databases was used to examine the number of smear tests carried out between 2000 and 2010, stratified by age group and deprivation indicators. Logistic regression was used to analyse colposcopy attendance. Results Over 33,000 more cervical screening tests than expected were carried out in the year of media reporting (2008/9), 11,539 (35%) of which were in the month of Jade Goody's death. The largest increase was evident in women aged 35-39 years (475 additional tests per month, 95% CI 331-619). Impacts were similar across deprivation quintiles. Colposcopy referrals increased by 18% during the year of media reporting. Increases were observed for all smear test results in 2008/9, particularly among younger women, and further rises were evident in 2009/10 for smear tests showing borderline changes and mild dyskaryosis. The proportion of women attending colposcopy appointments rose in the year of media reporting (x 2 ¼ 45.8, P , 0.001). Conclusions Mass media reporting of cervical cancer in a UK celebrity was associated with a significant, but transient, increase in screening uptake and colposcopy referral and attendance. Mass media reporting can play a role in enhanced detection of abnormalities, but public health messages must be communicated effectively to minimize anxiety whilst maximizing case-finding and uptake among non-responders.

The Jade Goody Effect: Whose Cervical Screening Decisions Were Influenced by Her Story?

“…21 Women from lower SEC groups and with fewer educational qualifications were more likely to say they had been influenced by Goody's story. This contrasts with data showing no association between area-level deprivation and attendance at cervical screening in Wales after her death; 9 however, it is possible that area-level deprivation measures are too crude to identify fine-grained socioeconomic patterning. Goody was from a lower socioeconomic background herself, and so these groups of women may have identified with her more strongly.…”

“…Consistent with previous data from the national screening programme, women from younger age groups seemed to be most influenced by Goody's story. 5,9 Having had children at a younger age was also associated with being influenced by Goody's story. One explanation for these women being particularly influenced by the story is that Goody herself was young (27 when she died) and had two young children.…”

Coverage of common cancer types in UK national newspapers: a content analysis

“…The influence of celebrity cases on UK national newspaper coverage was observed in varying degrees across all of the cancer types studied, although some were of relatively low-profile cases compared with the well-studied example of television celebrity Jade Goody whose experience with cervical cancer increased screening among British women 30 31. In the USA, cases of bowel cancer associated with high-profile figures has also led to a corresponding increase in the use of early detection tests 32 33…”

Intervenções que favorecem a adesão ao exame de colpocitologia oncótica: revisão integrativa

“…Impact of media reporting of cervical cancer in a UK celebrity on a population-based cervical screening programme (29) 2011/ United Kingdom Ecological/ 33,000 Media reports about celebrities Showed a transitory increase in Pap smear exams rate…”

“…A study carried out with women in Wales, United Kingdom, showed that media articles play an important role in increasing the uptake of Pap smear exams (29) . Likewise, a quasi-experimental study with women in Southeast Asia found an increase in knowledge and adherence to exams through a thematic soap opera and the use of educational flyers (30) .…”