The role of education in the uptake of preventative health care: The case of cervical screening in Britain

Social inequality in Pap smear coverage: identifying under-users of cervical cancer screening in Argentina

“…15,20 Education level is usually considered a surrogate for socio-economic level, 21 but it also influences screening through knowledge, awareness and extent of social inclusion. 22 In our study, education was an independent predictor of screening even after controlling for socio-economic level. Evidence shows that education raises awareness of the importance of regular health check-ups and hence the willingness to do so; it may also improve understanding of information, extent of communication with the health practitioner and interpretation of results.…”

“…Evidence shows that education raises awareness of the importance of regular health check-ups and hence the willingness to do so; it may also improve understanding of information, extent of communication with the health practitioner and interpretation of results. 22 Bradley et al have pointed out that in settings where health-seeking behaviour is guided by traditional notions of ill-health, women may not be sure whether modern medicine can heal them. 23 It is important to note that the regions in Argentina with lower Pap smear coverage are those with a higher proportion of indigenous people who, compared to the general population, have lower education levels.…”

Social determinants of nonadherence to tuberculosis treatment in Buenos Aires, Argentina

“…This is a proxy indicator of household income based on the ratio between the number of employed family members and total number of family members, and the level of education of the head of the household 30,31 . Studies that included level of education as a variable show that illiterate patients (or patients who have a low level of education) are generally 1.3 to 1.7 times more likely to dropout of treatment than patients with a higher level of education 27,32,33 . A study conducted in Southern India shows that level of education influences patient health behavior due to its association with low income and work status, and low levels of knowledge regarding treatment 34 .…”

It’s hard to reach the “hard-to-reach”: the challenges of recruiting people who do not access preventative healthcare services into interview studies

“…The utilisation of healthcare services such as these can reduce mortality and the incidence of illnesses (Sabates & Feinstein, 2006) as well as potentially reducing overall healthcare costs for the NHS (Labeit, Peinemann, & Baker, 2013). In addition, preventative healthcare provides individuals with knowledge and a sense of security about their own health and the health of their loved ones (Sabates & Feinstein, 2006). These services are offered to members of the public who meet certain criteria (e.g., based on age or gender).…”